Women in the workplace

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For women 100 years ago, opportunities to work beyond the home and take part in political life were very limited.

As the 20th century progressed, hard-won progress included gradually improved voting rights, while the upheaval of global conflicts pushed doors ajar as women worked as part of the war effort.

U.S. Library of Congress archive photos show women’s workplaces ranging from a flour mill in England to a coal mine in Belgium or Lincoln Motor Co.’s welding department in Detroit.