Educating Women in the United Kingdom, today is taken for granted whether you are married or not. A girl will start school at 4 or 5 and leave school when she is 16 or 17. Unless, of course, she is going on to higher education. However, not so long ago it was a very controversial issue. Just take a look at this video from 1961. The two who are women being interviewed discuss the merits of educating women when they are married.
What is sad and also surprising about this video is that the lady in the coat is advocating that educating women is detrimental to their mental health. As it could give them an unhappy and unsatisfactory lifestyle. Especially, when they have to leave work and stay at home and look after their husband and children.
This lady is speaking some truth. If you are married, an educated woman and ambitious then having to stay at home and become a housewife could be detrimental to a woman’s mental health. A life that revolves around three or four people at the expense of your happiness can be soul destroying.
From a personal point of view, my grandmother wanted to continue her education and work when married. Unfortunately, her husband wouldn’t allow it. As far as he was concerned it was his duty, as a man to provide for his wife. Her views and aspirations didn’t matter. My grandmother had two children, and her life was in the home. She had pocket money for household bills. Lived her life on a shoestring as her husband controlled the money. She thought this was normal as did her friends.
Giving up Work when Married
What neither of the women argued, is that as soon as a woman gets married why does she have to give up work and stay home. It is now, taken for granted that once a woman is married, she doesn’t have to give up work or her education. Only 40 years ago, it was expected that a woman
ABC TV’s Jean Battersby chairs a debate between two educated women, Jean Inkster and Toni Thompson, on whether education is a waste of time for married women
would leave work once married and therefore educating women was not worth the effort.
Quotes about this video on Educating Women taken from YouTube
“Women, when I grew up in the 60s, should have been receptionists, teachers or nurses. In every way, women needed to be subservient to the needs of their family. As this video shows, there were women who bought into being ignorant”. alistairville
“As a wife and mother, I worked as a school teacher all day. When I came home, I had all of the housework, cooking etc. to do all night. I worked myself to death. It was like trying to be two people instead of one.
My husband worked (also a school teacher), and when he came home, he rested, ate the dinner I prepared and then rested some more, while I did the dishes, laundry, cleaned house, helped the children with homework etc.
Society has changed over time, and there are more women in the workplace than ever before. However; men’s roles haven’t all changed.” Amy Sutton
“In 1968 my parents were married, my Mum worked as a Typist for five yrs . until I came along, but when Mum got married, she had to leave her Job & reapply under her married name. Crazy” Leanne Blake
Alternatively, watch this video from Michelle Obama talking about Women and Education.
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