Labor Day is fast approaching; and many are ready for a three-day weekend of fun, excitement and a final good-bye to the summer. But did you know that the first Labor Day was
celebrated almost 130 years ago and became a National Holiday on June 28, 1894? Labor Day was created by the labor unions and observes the “social and economic achievements of American workers”. One hundred years ago, the workforce was primarily made of men, as women only worked as nurses, teachers or in the home.
Then in 1941, the United States declared war on Germany and Japan. With a large population of men overseas, World War II gave women the opportunity to work in the defense factories; and become motivated to learn a trade and earn a paycheck. Plus, without the hard work of these brave women, the war might have had a different outcome. And as the war ended and the U.S. declared victory, women quietly gave up their jobs to the returning heroic soldiers.
Those women never forgot that independence; and change began as the next generation of women brought about the Women’s Rights Movement of the 1960′s (Burn those Bras). Because of the courage and determination of our mothers, grandmothers, and great grandmothers, women today are move educated, successful and independent than ever before, whether working outside or inside the home.
In 2011, women make up 50 percent of the American workforce; and are either sharing the breadwinner role or are the sole provider of the household. Women are still breaking through the glass ceiling; and we can only look forward to the future of our daughters.
