Question

In empirical research, lots of researchers found that female participation rates increase dramatically from 1950 to 2011. Please indicate five factors that contribute to this trend, and briefly explain each factor

Answer 1

In the last 50 or so years, we have seen tremendous improvement in economic empowerment of women across the globe. Many researchers have seen an increasing participation rate of female. With the years, peoples thinking changed and women were given platforms to showcase their abilities. Many factors and many people influenced which led to the increasing participation rate of female. Huge changes where seen after 1950 when women started showing their talents and started believing in equality.

Some of the factors are stated below:-

1. Shortages of labor during war times: It might look peculiar but war time actually brought women on their front foot. Men heading off to fight in the war caused a lot of labor shortage. Especially in U.S the government created a campaign using the fictional character of Rosie the Riveter to attract women into working. And it would be unbelievable but, during the world war II the female labor force grew by 50%. This led to shift of cultural attitudes and people started accepting middle class women as working.
2. Economic Issues: With the increase in cost of living, for many women it has become a necessity to work in order to support the family.
3. Equal rights acts: Government started giving importance to the equality between men and women. Examples like the Equal Pay Act of 1963, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 etc. encouraged women to go ahead and stand for their right like equal pay etc.
4. Tremendous growth in service sector: Due to this there was a growing demand for female workers. It is always said that ,“When brute strength mattered more than brains, men had an inherent advantage but now that brainpower has triumphed the two sexes are more evenly matched.” Hence providing women with an advantage.
5. Increased access to higher education: This allowed more women to pursuit higher education and increase their ability to obtain jobs. In the 1949-1950 school year women earned around 24% of all degrees earned but by the 2008-2009 school year, women had earned roughly 60% of the total degrees.
6. Rise of the feminism : The Feminist movement helped in pushing the equal rights and liberalization for women.