The changing role of women 1950-75 (Part 4)

The changing role of women 1950-75 (Part 4)

1. Work opportunities and pay

   • 1951, 31% labour force was women, increased to 39% by 1971
   • 1951, 36% women worked, increased to 52% by 1971
   • 1951, only 26% of women married, increased to 49% by 1971
   • Many female workers resented by male colleagues, same job as men, lower wages
   • 1955, conservative government agreed to equal pay act in public sector, 1970, equal pay act in private sectors, not enforced until 1975

2. Women in the home

   • Start of 20th century, 14% of women never married
   • Major increase in women getting married, called a 'baby boom' between 1950 and 1965
   • Availability of electricity for gas and heating made life more comfortable
   • Technological advancement significantly improved women's lives when doing household chores, so more time for leisure activites

3. Contraception, abortion, and divorce

   • 1957, first oral contraceptive pill produced my medical researchers, made available by on NHS in 1961
   • 'The pill' drastically transformed women's lives, because they could now control how many kids they wanted
   • After 1965, birth rate fell dramatically