With the Industrial Revolution came opportunities for women to

work outside the home in factories.

demand equal pay with men for their work.

choose work over getting married and having children.

achieve total financial independence.

With the Industrial Revolution came opportunities for women to work outside the home in factories.

The Industrial Revolution, which extended from the 18th century to mid-19th century, was a period characterized by the switch from an agrarian economy to a handicraft economy. During this time in which machines had a predominant role, women were able to find jobs outside their houses. Most women worked in textile factories; however, their working conditions were unsanitary and they received lower wages than men. Women that did not work at factories generally found jobs in domestic service or in coal mines.

The role of women during the Industrial Revolution acquired great importance, since in this period women contributed to domestic tasks, housework, textiles and jobs in the country.

But these were not the only tasks that were developed in the same place, they also worked in the mines and to corroborate their good performance. With the invention of the steam engine, women were very useful to perform such work. However, despite the efforts of the women of that time, their homes were affected, since the care of their children was not the same, due to the excessive work and low salary they had in comparison with men. The above marked the great beginning of a struggle to improve its role in society.