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The focus of this portion of our web guide is on women's lifestyles.

In the past century, and particularly in recent years, the lifestyle of the average woman has changed dramatically, most closely converging on that of men's lifestyles.

In 1917, women couldn't vote, initiate divorce proceedings, or obtain legal protection from marital rape. In many parts of the world, forced marriages were common. Very few women were in the workplace, and employment options for women were limited. How have women's lifestyles changed in the past century?

A hundred years ago, a larger portion of the land was in agriculture and more people lived on farms. Women were charged with tending a garden, feeding chickens, collecting eggs, maintaining the home, and tending to children.

Fifty years ago, women could vote, and ostensibly, they were granted many of the same legal rights as men. A larger percentage of the population lived in cities or suburbs, but the traditional role of a woman was to maintain the house and raise children. There were larger numbers of women in the job market although the opportunities were fewer and the pay was not equitable.

Beginning in the 1960s, changes in the norms surrounding gender roles, sexuality, and gender roles resulted in a rise in divorce, remarriage, cohabitation, and multiple-partner fertility. In turn, these changes have led to a proliferation of family ties that are more diffuse, more ambiguous, and, in many cases, weaker.

In the latter part of the 20th century, the participation of women participating in the labor force rose, as did the percentage of women pursuing higher education. Although many women still take time off from work for childrearing, it is more likely to be measured in months rather than years today.

Women are marrying and forming families at later ages today, and childrearing is increasingly non-traditional. Similarly, while 23% of women born during the Great Depression had their first child during their teenage years, this declined to 18% among those born in the 1960s or later and has continued to decline, particularly among women with more than a high school education.

As women were marrying and having children later, divorce also began to be easier for women to initiate, and thus more common. Nearly 40% of baby boomers. have been divorced at least once, and they were more likely to have been divorced at a younger age than earlier generations.

Unsurprisingly, higher education and greater participation in the labor force among women have led to less dependence on a husband's earning power. This has also encouraged both men and women to adapt to changing roles in order to maintain family stability, resulting in changing lifestyles for both men and women.

Due to divorced children, former sons- and daughters-in-law, and grandchildren with different sets of parents, the role of grandparents has diminished in many families. However, in other families, grandparents have been the most stable and consistent relationships in their grandchildren's lives, and many have become the primary caregivers for their grandchildren.

Nevertheless, a not-insignificant number of women have adopted the traditional roles, as housekeepers and caregivers for their children. Even in families where both partners are employed, women take on more childcare tasks than men, and they typically take on more of the housekeeping responsibilities.

Women's lifestyles have undergone significant changes in the past century. They have made strides in various fields, including politics, education, and employment. In many countries, women have broken into government at high levels.

However, in some parts of the world, women are still not allowed to drive or even to leave the house except when accompanied by a man.

 

 

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