ABSTRACT
How do we judge whether twentieth-century employment policies have worked for women? Indicators could be said to include power, status, autonomy, freedom of movement and financial security. Although it is by no means the only important factor in a working woman’s life, material wellbeing is the platform on which she can start to build other projects and fully develop her capabilities. Financial rewards and economic security and independence are often closely associated with status and autonomy, but also have the advantage of being easier to measure at a macro-level than other indicators that policies are working in women’s favour. At present, although there have been and still are major differences between women based on ethnicity, sexuality, able-bodiedness and class, most women are linked by economic insecurity. Governments, employers and unions have used and continue to treat women differently on the grounds of sex; and continuing inequalities of income between women and men have been the result.
