UKRAINIAN WOMEN IN THE LABOUR MARKET OF THE LATE XIX — EARLY XX CENTURIES

Abstract

Objective. The objective of the article is to study of the phenomenon of discrimination against women in the system of social and labour relations in the territory of Ukraine in the late XIX — early XX centuries. Methods. A complex of general scientific methods of epistemology is used: theoretical generalization, analysis and synthesis, induction and deduction. The initial fact of the research is the statement of the dependence of the results of job search on the branching of social networks, especially the weak social ties. Results. The rough socio-economic, political, and living conditions of woman’s being in the late nineteenth century — early twentieth century were mostly the result of the level of social development and long-standing rules. Having been deprived political, economic rights, their space of self-realization was confined largely to housekeeping. The dominant social stereotype was the belief that a woman is first of all a housewife, a woman does not have sufficient intellectual capacity to engage in male activities. This explains the absence of women in economic, socio-cultural, and political spheres. The inability of women to educate turned this problem into an unsolved one, and helped to form in women’s consciousness the established belief that they were not equal to men, weak and defenseless. These features were characteristic to women throughout the territory of Ukraine, which were part of both the Russian and Austro-Hungarian empires, regardless of their social origin and the level of family well-being. The situation began to change with the intensification of the industrial revolution in the late nineteenth century. Strengthening the impact of economic laws on the social existence of «profits, benefits», became the main argument for employers when hiring a woman. The low pay of women, lack of rights, became the main arguments for business representatives. Taking into account the intensification of negative international factors on the economy of Russia and Austria, the approaching World War I, role of women in production sphere increased proportionally. The need of countries for industrial products, the mobilization of men into the armies did not leave the choice to the bourgeoisie and enabled women to change the situation. A positive point is the parallel growth of their rights, the level of social protection. At the same time, industry specification and wages continued to show gender limitation and inequality. The main areas of employment for women remained the food, light, especially textile, and tobacco industries. Heavy industry, public service continued to be unattainable. Therefore, we can boldly state that the improvement of the role of women in the labour market was largely due to economic factors, rather than a change in the thinking of society, increasing its level of liberality.