The Industrial Revolution has changed the situation in the labor market. With the mechanization of production, more and more hired labor was required (Berkin et al., 2016). Economic changes have coincided with the revision of traditional values, increasing the visibility of women in society. The increase in the number of women working in industry has been a natural outcome of technological changes. Although the employment of women in factories has provided more opportunities for earning money, this type of activity should be considered as an evidence of exploitation.
First of all, working in factories cannot be called a completely voluntary choice. Such ventures were predominantly employed by single young women from poor families in search of the only way to earn money. To attract female workers, factories tried to establish attractive wage conditions. However, it cannot be called a voluntary choice of a place of work if it is the only one that provides an opportunity to earn money to cover basic needs. The main motivation for young women working in factories was the desire to be financially independent from their families.
Women’s labor in factories was accompanied by significant cultural shifts. The desire of women to secure their economic independence gave rise to a prejudiced attitude towards factory workers. Society feared that working in such enterprises corrupted girls and made them unfit for marriage. The thirst for freedom of women could not be encouraged by the conservative and patriarchal society of the 19th century. Society was worried that young working girls would not be interested in getting married and starting a family. Such female employment was discouraged by a significant part of society. Thus, work in the factory became a reason for discrimination, as another evidence of the lack of women empowerment.
Finally, the work conditions of female employees were poorly regulated and the working day was exhaustingly long. The dissatisfaction of factory workers caused mass protests against the 12-hour working day (Berkin et al., 2016). Women also participated in these protest movements in an effort to defend their right to rest. Exhausting working conditions and lack of adequate rest is an example of unethical treatment of women in the workplace. The effect of this phenomenon was intensifying, since women did not really have a choice of an acceptable place of work. Dismissal for factory employees would mean a return to their family, which for many was tantamount to losing the right to a free life. Precarious work is a form of exploitation of employees, which also shows that working in factories did not strengthen the position of women.
Factory employment certainly had benefits for the women’s social movement. Working together, women were able to communicate and gain collective experience, to realize themselves as part of the process of social change. More and more women began to realize their dependent position and demand more rights. These factors have benefited future generations of women and the beginning of the destruction of the patriarchal system. However, in the 19th century, when factories were looking for cheap labor in women, this kind of employment was a direct equality of exploitation. Employers were not motivated by a desire to improve the position of women; they saw them as a way to increase profits. Difficult working conditions, lack of freedom of choice of employment and irregular working hours make the phenomenon of women’s employment in 19th century factories an example of exploitation.
Reference
Berkin, C., Gormly, J., Miller, C., & Cherny, R. (2016). Making America, Volume 1 To 1877: A History of the United States. Cengage Learning.