For many working class women, a job was vital to live. One of the most appealing jobs at this time was a Domestic Servant. Many unmarried girls would take this job, some even coming straight from school at 12. Most of the work would be manual, so a high level of education was not necessary. You were also given bed and board, and could send the money you earned back to your family. However, most women worked long hours in poor conditions whilst receiving extremely low wages. Unfortunately women were forced to put up with this as they needed the money, and knew that they would never receive anything higher as if they complained, another domestic servant would be easy to find.
Another job at this time that employed a lot of women was the textiles industry, with a total of 900,000 women working within this trade. Again, hours were long and work was harsh but many women desperately needed the money. Wages were always considerably lower than a man’s even if they both had the same job. For example, in 1906, the average pay rate per hour for a man was £1.47, and for a woman it was a much smaller sum of 93p.
Another area of employment that attracted large numbers of women was the Sweated Trade, which was perhaps, the worst trade in terms of working conditions. The worst conditions were probably those of the small clothing and dressmaking workshops, where woman often worked in cramped areas, in the houses of their employers. It was impossible to check on every workshop as many were small. Also because of this, trade unions could not be set up, so women would be forced to put up with it. The reason why sweatshops were so popular, was the fact that the work could easily fit around the woman’s duties such as looking after the children. Women could work at home and were paid piece rates, which meant women would receive money for each garment they produced. Other items that could be produced at home could vary from addressing envelopes to even painting led soldiers.
A small portion of the working population of women had jobs which were known as ‘white collar jobs’. These women were mostly of middle class and would work in jobs such as Bank Clarks or telephonists. Women working in jobs such as these suffered less from poor conditions and exploitations of labour, but still did not receive equal pay as men. Teaching was also a popular job, but once you were married you were expected to leave and become a housewife.
Limitations on Education was becoming less, as women were starting to become more accepted. It was difficult for a woman to go to university and get a degree, but it could be done. There were a few women who attended lectures and tutorials at universities, however they were regarded with suspicion and thought of, to be unfeminine. Even after gaining a degree at university, it was still hard for a woman to be accepted into society and a particular profession. For instance, there were a few women doctors, but it was hard for them to become accepted as many people felt uncomfortable seeing a female GP. However by 1914 there were over 1000 doctors and it seemed that more and more women were beginning to be recognized and accepted. The First World War was to be the first opportunity for women to show that they were just as capable as the men.
