On this page

• Departments (1)
  • 
• Text (4)

  Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.

  • 

    -«"--¦ ¦ ¦ THE

  • 

    Vol. IV. February 1, I860. No. 24.

  • 

    1,1V.—ON THE OBSTACLES TO THE EMPLOYMENT

  • 

    ^ ¦ <» The fact revealed in tlie census ...

• Transcript

  • Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.

    Additionally, when viewing full transcripts, extracted text may not be in the same order as the original document.

    -«"--¦ ¦ ¦ The

    _- _«" _-- ¦ ¦ ¦ THE

    ENGLISH WOMAN'S aOUMAL

    PUBLISHED MONTHLY .

    Vol. Iv. February 1, I860. No. 24.

    Vol . IV . February 1 , I 860 . No . 24 .

    1,1v.—On The Obstacles To The Employment

    1 , 1 V . —ON THE OBSTACLES TO THE EMPLOYMENT OF WOMEN .

    ^ ¦ <» The Fact Revealed In Tlie Census ...

    _^ ¦ _<» The fact revealed in tlie census of 1851 , and brought into notice "by

    the article on female employment in the " Edinburgh Review" for . April 1859 . that two millions of our countrywomen are unmarried

    , and have to maintain themselves , startled every thinKing * mind in the kingdom , and has done much to effect a change in public opinion ,

    with regard to the expediency of opening fresh fields of labor to the industry of the "weaker sex . Until that circumstance became

    known , benevolent persons were generally of opinion that as married life is the happiest lot for womenso all public plans and

    arrangements in relation to them should b , e made solely with a view to their occupying that positionfor though it was always apparent

    , that a considerable number of single women existed , and that some experienced difficulty in earning a livelihood , the greatness of their

    numbers was never suspected , nor was the cause of their difficulties understood . When , however , it was shown that one third of the

    women of Great Britain were unmarried and unprovided for , except by such means as their own exertions might procureit was at once

    perceived that to make all social arrangements on th , supposition that women were almost invariably married , and supported by their

    husbands , was to build on . a fallacy , and that these two millions of independent workers , if considered at all , must be regarded as their

    own " bread-winners . " Frightful accounts of their sufferings were almost at the same

    time made public . Stories in the newspapers revealed the lowness of the wages paid to needlewomen , and the cruel sufferings from

    overwork inflicted on _milliners' apprentices . Workhouses were found to be overcrowded with able-bodied females , while charities

    were besieged by women praying to be provided either with employment or bread .

    Thus roused , the public feeling began to show itself , and during the last few months many newspapers and periodicals have raised

    their voices to complain of the overcrowded condition of the few employments open to women , to plead for the enlargement of their

    vox , iv . . 2 c

• Citation
  • English Woman’s Journal (1858-1864), Feb. 1, 1860, page unpag, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/ewj/issues/ewj_01021860/page/1/