Work
The phrase “women’s work” was used to describe the work that women were considered “suitable” for—typically undervalued unpaid housekeeping and child-rearing. As recently as the 1960s most women were limited to certain fields: paid domestic work, nursing, teaching, secretarial work. Women who worked in alternate fields often didn’t get credit for their work. These examples from the Smithsonian collections prove women’s work is any work that women want to do!
Collection Objects
Discover the stories behind these objects or browse other collection items related to women and their work.
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WWI Navy Nurses Served Without Commissioned Rank -
Concha’s American Journey -
Leah Chase, Queen of Creole Cuisine -
Phillis Wheatley Published Poems About Freedom While Enslaved -
The Nation's First Woman Supreme Court Justice -
The First Official Maternity Uniform for Pregnant Pilots
Videos
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Dolores Huerta was interviewed by Taína Caragol, curator of Latino art and history at the National Portrait Gallery on September 24, 2015. Through her example as a labor and civil rights leader, and her challenge to norms that restrict women's role in society, Dolores Huerta became an early symbol of female power for the Chicano and feminist movements.
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The legacy of NASA's Mission Control was changed forever when Frances "Poppy" Northcutt joined the team in 1965 to work on the Apollo program. Since then, Poppy has become an example and advocate for women in the workplace.
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How did women serve in uniform during World War I? Tory Altman joins Curator Margaret Vining of the National Museum of American History's Division of Armed Forces History to talk about women's service in the conflict, and how their contributions helped the cause of woman suffrage.
Smithsonian American Women
