Becoming BreadwinnersSince the beginning of time the typical Victorian woman’s place has always in the house, taking care of the children and tending to domestic duties, this also translated to the workforce. Women with occupations such as nurse or teacher were deemed “pink collar”. Pink collar jobs are tasks usually held by women, especially with relatively low-paying work (Merriam-Webster). Women in the workforce faced challenges of poor working conditions and low income. Established on June 5, 1920, law gave the Women's bureau the duty to “formulate standards and policies which shall promote the welfare of wage-earning women, improve their working conditions,
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increase their efficiency, and advance opportunities for profitable employment” (US Department of Labor). This was a major step for women which encouraged more individuals to take part in the workforce. Working towards the Women’s Trade Union League (WTUL) was a challenging journey. The WUTL was a collective effort of women from all social classes to work together towards more fair work conditions. Together they established minimum wage, the end of night work for women, and the abolition of child labor. They protested, marched, and boycotted manufacturers who refused to side with the strikers. (Gopnik)
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