A Brief Examination of Womens Involvement With the Railways 1880-1940
This essay further considers the work women performed in relation to the railway and studies how the women’s movement with the railroads was political, geographical, and creative. This paper concludes that women faced a number of advantages and disadvantages in the railroad, but were able to contribute significantly to the railroad system between 1880 and 1940. The chief problem women faced in becoming involved with the railroad included perceptions of gender and work. Since the railroad offered - or purported to offer - such rough and mixed company and such dangerous and physical work, it was not seen as fit for women. Fortunately, women were allowed to join auxiliaries to the male union’s railroad workers joined. These auxiliaries allowed women a political voice at the local level, and allowed them to creatively formulate their position within the railroading community. Women were able to contribute to their railroad additionally as inventors of key railroad devices and systems. During the two world wars, women were able to enter the physically demanding railroad wars which were not open to them during peace time. Their entry to these jobs was short-lived, as public pressure compelled them to surrender these jobs upon the completion of the war, when male workers returned from overseas. However, women had proved that they could perform the physical labour of railroads, which opened the way for their future inclusion in the industry.
