Climbing the career ladder in the 1950s and 1960s was no easy task for women. And while some would claim that the struggle has not yet been resolved in our generation, firmly-held beliefs around gender roles and societal expectations back then painted a picture for women that placed them squarely at home with their families. We’ve covered 17 workplace policies from these earlier decades that specifically speak to this challenge, setting the stage for what eventually led to the rise of the women’s liberation movement in the 1960s.
#1: Dresses or Skirts for Women
Even up through the more liberal-leaning 1960s, some offices had unwritten (or handbook) rules about a woman’s dress code. Slacks and suits were for men, while skirts and dresses were for women. A woman wearing slacks was frowned upon in the office, as her look might have contradicted the well-instated gender roles that were still ever-present at the time.
