Women's Wages

"Woman's Wages" by William Smart is a detailed look into the economic world of the 1800s, specifically how women were paid much less than men for doing similar jobs, especially in Britain. As someone who studied and taught about money and economics, Smart shows how women's work was often undervalued compared to what men earned. The book identifies key problems, such as many women competing for very few jobs that pay little, the widespread idea that women only worked to add to a man's income, and a general sense that things made or done by women were just not worth as much money as those done by men. Smart uses real numbers and stories from different jobs, like textile workers and teachers, to make his point: women did not earn as much because society wasn't equal. He thought it was important to fight for change, so women get the same pay as men for the same amount of work. The author thought that changing society's views was key because these views kept women from getting fair pay for their work.