How did the job opportunities and working conditions of Canadian women change during the period 1880 to 1920?

Job opportunities and working conditions for Canadian women during the period between 1880 and 1920 were fairly limited.  Women were expected to be part of the labor force, but only until they married.  At that time, men were expected to be the primary breadwinners and married women were discouraged from participating in the workforce.  In fact, over all the progress towards women’s rights in Canada has been relatively slow. 

Technically, the end of the 19^th century and the beginning of the 20^th century offered many opportunities for advancement for women’s rights.  Women began to attend universities and obtain professional licenses, as well as getting some rights to vote in local matters. 

Women in the Canadian workforce have traditionally been segregated into women’s work or women’s roles.  These are jobs that have traditionally been both lower status and lower pay.  In 1911, women’s wages were just over half of what men were paid for the same jobs, a figure that remained relatively stagnant over the next century. 

However, the end of the 19^th century and industrialization meant that women had many opportunities for work outside of the home.  Factories provided many employment opportunities, but the work opportunities were brutal.  Factories…

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