Women of Tioga County

Women played a large part in the second 100 years in Tioga County. They were already becoming women in their own “right”, and by the turn of the century had conquered many fields of occupation formerly held by men. 

There was much talk of temperance movements, women’s rights movements, and rights within the home. With two World Wars, women found that they had to leave their homes to go to work, not only to help out the war efforts, be it working in a factory to make garments for the soldiers, or to help assemble parts for their military equipment, but to maintain a status quo in the household due to rising prices. 

They managed through a depression when food was rationed and “stamps” were at a minimum. They raised their young, taught schools, administered first aid through organizations such as the Red Cross, and joined women’s organizations, not only for enjoyment, but to foster a better way of life through their continued learning, be it a literary club, home demonstration group, church organization, or an educational group. Women strived not just for independence, but also for a rightful place in a man’s society.

In 1920 women gained the right to vote. This was an accomplishment that literally took years with the struggle having begun in 1820. Women across American endured ridicule, as well as physical hardships and their leaders fought not just for the vote, but also for full social, political, and economical equality. 

It was through the civil rights movement, later branching out to a wide-spread women’s rights movement, strengthened by the temperance movement, that women were finally given the right to vote, a right that they had fought long and hard to achieve, never giving up in the strength of will that women seem to have cultivated over the years.

By 1960, according to the Census of Population from the U.S. Department of Commerce, women made up 40 percent of the labor force. However a look at the following reveals that only a small percent of women, nationally, occupied professional fields. For the profession of lawyers, women comprised four percent; doctors, seven percent; dentists, two percent; engineers, one percent; and scientists, seven percent. By the end of the 1980’s, however, these figures had increased rapidly.

Writer’s note – The women included in this series, celebrating New York State Women of Tioga County, is only a smattering of the diversity and drive of those who stood strong in their convictions during an era when it was improper for women to work outside the home. Also, the content above was taken from “Seasons of Change.”

Editors Note: The year 2017 Marks the 100th anniversary of women’s suffrage in New York State – the theme “Votes for Women: 1917-2017”. As part of the Tioga County Women’s Suffrage Anniversary Committee, the following is a series of articles on women of Tioga County, highlighting women’s history in our region.

As the secretary for Tioga County’s Bicentennial in 1990, and the author of the chapter on women in Seasons of Change, Carol Henry is serving on the Tioga County Woman’s Suffrage Anniversary Committee, and has edited several entries in her Chapter on Women, to be included in this on-going segment.