The American women of the twenty first century have traded their cook books for the briefcase and taken to professional lives. The modern woman has undergone a revolution to become more engaged in professional lives to accommodate career, education and other skills. This is a culmination of years of effort put towards improving the state of the girl child. This transition has ultimately changed the state of the society shifting the notion of the society.
The beginning of the changes in the women starts with education. The education system offered by the state has been broadening. Women not only learn how to build a strong family, they also learn more intellectual aspects in a wider context to be able to pursue careers (Dail, 11). The broad education that they receive also improves their social standings in the society. High school education system has now shifted from home skills to more intellectual kind of education.
Additionally, women who made it to college education only seemed to be seeking husbands and settle for marriage. Today that mentality has shifted making women more active in pursuing further education to in order to be competitive in the jobs market (Dail, 12). The result of such concerted effort to improving the lives of the woman is a high number of graduates. An ever increasing number of female graduates is witnessed in several colleges across the country. For instances, Dail asserts that in the entire state of California there are more female students enrolled in colleges than males. Similarly, there the University of Yale reported that the number of female students rose from about 515 in 1950 to more than 5000 in 1999 (25).
Women have also enrolled in several fields of expertise. The number of females who are enrolled to medical, law and other similar fields has been a rising trend. The most common field associated with women is the field of nursing. Women have always dominated the field of nursing and this has allowed then to venture into other areas of expertise. The role of women in the American workforce has always been important. In the past they helped the men to work and provided a sufficient home for the development of the family unit. Today due to their organization and education level, women have earned diverse employment opportunities. They occupy several important positions in organizations and companies. For instance, in Congress, women are increasing in number as well as taking important roles. It was in the 21st century that there was a woman leader of a party in congress. In the corporate scene, women are also climbing the leadership ladder with some respected chief executive being women (Dail, 32)
This has increasingly urbanized and developed the women. Today, more women prefer to be city dwellers working within the precepts of industrialization to keeping within a family unit simply as a wife. Current industries and workplaces have positions for women and provide equal chances as the male counterparts. Legislation and constitutions now recognize women and have put restriction to enable the involvement of women. This progressive era is a result of several players and organizations taking time and resources to improve the status of women.
National Consumer League
One such organization is the National Consumer League (NCL). This is a national organization that seeks to improve that safety and reliability of the products that consumers buy. The organization was founded by two women Jane Addams and Josephine Lowell in 1899 (Dail,35). The idea behind the founding of the NCL was that since the consumers purchase the product which is essentially inevitable, then such power to purchase should also give the consumer the authority to influence the quality of the product. This league also looked to provide fairness in the market place for both the workers and the consumers.
The formation of the league by two women was an effort to achieve some sought of social reforms in communities and workplaces. The national league gave the women an avenue within which to assert their standing in the society and impose social justice. For instance, under the influential secretary general Florence Kelley the NCL exposed scenes of child labor and discrimination in the workplaces. In the mid 1900s, the league reviewed its effort to a more broadened charter. In the review efforts the league came with some concise objectives. These objectives were to issue a white label for products produced under fair working conditions. The league also championed for laws that ensured a fair minimum wage for women. The league also took effort to champion for several acts such as the Pure Foods and Drugs Acts of 1906 and the Meat Inspection Act of 1904.
This effort to reform the society towards a responsible oriented community provided reform-minded women the opportunity to improve themselves. Women had the chance to influence the community at a higher level. The league later moved to seek better education and employment opportunities for women. Improved health care and prohibition of child labor was also one of the objectives that the league attained. Today the league still plays an important role in social reforms and improving the working condition in the factories within the United States.
Women’s Trade Union League
A similar organization that provided women with avenue for improving the states of women in the society is the Women’s Trade Union League (WTUL). This was an organization of women formed in 1903 (Dail,58). The organization combined well-off women off and middle class working women. The league’s objective was to organize labor unions and agitate for better working conditions for women. The league fronted workers strike to agitate for better conditions. The league played a key role in supporting the famous uprising of the 20,000 workers in New York (Dail, 53). Women organizations and unions joined the league to seek better employment terms with employers. Just like the consumer league WTUL played an important role in legislations. Such important legislation includes the eight-hour working day, minimum wage and the protective legislation. This improved the working conditions of the women in the society. National
American Woman Suffrage Association
The desire of the women to improve the social state of the society went beyond the lines of employment. Women were also involved influencing the ideology in the society. Women were actively involved in improving the temperance and suffrage. In the context of suffrage, today the American woman enjoys freedom and rights. The National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA) is one of the organizations formed in 1890 to fight for the rights of women to vote.
NAWSA was the largest and most important organization that sought to provide an opportunity for women to influence suffrage laws in the country. Other small organizations associated with NAWSA were formed at local and state level to handle special aspect. This organization was at the front in ensuring that the Nineteenth Amendment to the US constitution was ratified giving the women rights to vote (Dail, 82).
Woman’s Christian Temperance Union
In the context of temperance, women were instrumental in trying to change a drinking society in the United States. They formed the Woman’s Christian Temperance Union which was the first organization of women formed to improve the society through Christianity. The union was influential in politics and the ideology of the American society. The union also influenced other matters in the society such as public health, sanitation, prostitution and international peace. The union was also prominent in temperance legislation of the mid 1900 and other laws regarding drugs and substance abuse.
Today women are in several aspects of the society. The constitution and other important institutions have cemented the foundation of the place of the women in the society. However, this progress has come at a cost. Over the past twenty years the childlessness among the American women has doubled. Many American women have prioritized education and careers over child bearing. According to Dail the American woman does not find family and children as important as career and educational advancement (101).
In conclusion, as the United States of America has been evolving, so has the American woman. There is a consistent transformation of the lives of the women. The society has advanced to accept the place of the women with equity. Employment and education opportunities have been provided to the woman at an equal standing with that of the male counterparts. The 21St century American woman is an urbanized career woman living in the first lane of industrialization.
Work cited
Dail, Paula W. Women and Poverty in 21st Century America. Boston: McFarland, 2011.
