By historical standards there have been enormous gains in the past 100 years.
science, technology, knowledge, health, literacy, life expectancy and political participation are .
amongst those that often come first to mind. But perhaps none has been so dramatic and pervasive in .
its impact as women's slow acquisition of human rights. A century ago women were often .
excluded from the full exercise of those civil rights which many men enjoyed. Men across the globe have .
had to come to terms with women exercising their recently acquired rights in the workplace, in politics .
and at home. Yet nowhere has actual equality been achieved. Respective roles of men and women are .
still undergoing profound change, in the process of transforming the nature of the family, society, .
culture and politics along with economics and the world of work. (Loutfi).
The influx of women into the workforce has major social, economic, and organizational consequences. .
The percentage of the total U.S. civilian workforce has increased dramatically since 1950, to where women .
comprise almost half of today's workforce. A major reason for the increasing share of women in the workforce .
is that more women with children are working than in previous decades. About 76% of women ages 25-54 are .
in the workforce. Further, about half of all currently working women are single, separated, divorced, widowed, .
or otherwise single heads of households. (Mathis/Jackson).
In the 1970s married women began entering the labor force in great numbers, and the strict .
segregation of women into certain occupations began to lessen somewhat as new opportunities arose for female .
workers in traditionally male occupations. (Brittanica 2003).
The growth of women in the workforce has led to more issues related to gender. Additionally, the selection and .
promotion criteria that employers use can discriminate against women. Some cases have found that women .
were not allowed to enter certain jobs or job fields.
