In the past, most women stayed at home to take care of domestic chores
such
as cooking or cleaning. Women's liberation and feminism have meant that
this
situation has been transformed and in contemporary
society
women are playing an almost equal role with men in terms of work.
This
has had significant consequences,
both
in terms of the family,
for example
by improving quality of
life
and increasing children's sense of independence, and
also
for
society
itself with greater gender equality.
The main reasons behind the increase of women in the workplace are women's liberation and feminism. The women's liberation movement originated in the 1960s and was popularised by authors
such
as Simone de Beauvoir. As a consequence of
this
, new legislation emerged, granting women equal rights to men in many fields,
in particular
employment. Because of feminist ideas, men have taken up roles which were previously seen as being for women only, most importantly those related to child rearing.
As a result
of
this
, women have more time to pursue their own careers and interests.
These have led to some significant effects,
both
to family
life
and to
society
as a whole.
Although
the earning capacity of a woman in her lifetime is generally much less than that of a man, she can
nevertheless
make a significant contribution to the family income. The most important consequence of
this
is an improved quality of
life
. By helping to maintain a steady income for the family, the pressure on the husband is considerably reduced,
hence
improving
both
the husband's and the wife's emotional well being.
Additionally
, the purchasing power of the family will
also
be raised.
This
means that the family can afford more luxuries
such
as foreign travel and a family car.
A
further
effect on the family is the promotion of independence in the children. Some might argue that having
both
parents working might be damaging to the children because of a lack of parental attention.
However
,
such
children have to learn to look after themselves at an earlier age, and their parents often rely on them to help with the housework.
This
therefore
teaches them important
life
skills.
As regards
society
, the most significant impact of women going to work is greater gender equality. There are an increasing number of women who are becoming politicians, lawyers, and even CEOs and company managers.
This
in turn has led to greater equality for women in all areas of
life
, not just employment.
For example
, women today have much stronger legal right to protect themselves against domestic violence and sexual discrimination in the workplace.
In conclusion, the increasing number of women at work has brought about some important changes in family
life
, including improved quality of
life
and increased independence for children, as well as affecting
society
itself. It is clear that the sexes are still a long way from being equal in all areas of
life
,
however
, and perhaps the challenge of the present century is to ensure that
this
takes place.