Work
"Women's work" referred to work that was considered suitable for women and usually included the undervalued and unpaid labor of housekeeping and child-rearing. As recently as the 1960s, most women were limited to certain fields: paid domestic work, nursing, teaching, and secretarial work. Women who worked in alternative 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!
Unknown to most, Roxy Laybourne was a pioneer in forensic ornithology whose work greatly improved the safety of flight. Carla Dove, program director of the National Museum of Natural History's Feather Identification Lab, shares the story of Laybourne.
Collection Objects
Discover the stories behind these objects or browse other collection items related to women and their work.
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.
Playlist

Smithsonian American Women
