Summary

Women were the first and most impacted by in the Great Depression.

As millions of men lost their jobs, homes, and savings, women had to step in to support their families, often taking on low-paying jobs with long hours. Single women, especially those from minority groups, had an even harder time finding work and faced stigma.

In rural areas, the situation was just as tough, especially for farmers' wives. The Dust Bowl made farming impossible, forcing many families to leave their homes and move to California, living in makeshift camps under deplorable conditions … and with their children to look after.

African American women particularly struggled with both racism and poverty. In places like Harlem, they found ways to cope by sharing what little they had and supporting each other through tough times.

Despite all these difficulties, women showed incredible strength, scrimping to make ends meet, and making meals from almost-nothing. They formed support networks, organized protests, and even found ways to have fun, like going to church, social clubs … and even, perhaps, a movie.

And it is important to remember that some women, in famiies were the wage-winner kept their job, found themselves actually better off, because prices fell.

In what ways were the lives of women in America impacted by the 1930s Depression?

As the economy collapsed, millions faced unemployment, wage cuts, and the loss of homes and savings. Women, already marginalized in the workforce, experienced unique challenges during this period; they were “the first orphans in the storm”

The Depression forced many women into the workforce to support their families. With male breadwinners losing their jobs, women sought employment in poorly paid positions, often working longer hours (up to 50 hours a week) for lower wages. Many of these jobs were in domestic service, factories, or as seamstresses, where they were paid significantly less than men. Single women, particularly those from minority groups, were even more vulnerable. Without a family to rely on, they faced stigma and were often relegated to the margins of society, struggling to find work and survive; a study of unattached women in Chicago found most were over 40, 15% had a mental illness.

For women in rural areas, especially farmers' wives, the Depression was equally harsh. The Dust Bowl, a severe drought that hit the central United States, worsened conditions for those dependent on agriculture. Many women on farms faced the dual burden of trying to maintain their households while coping with the collapse of their livelihoods. They joined their husbands among the hundreds of thousands of ‘Okies’ and ‘Arkies’ who abandoned their farms and took to Route 66 to go fruit-picking in California. Those who went on the road faced more dangers than men, and at best found themselves competing with other desperate workers for meagre wages, often living in makeshift camps under deplorable conditions … and with their children to look after.

The social impact on women was also significant. Many families disintegrated under the pressure, with fathers losing status and mothers expected to manage both household and economic responsibilities. The strain of these expectations often led to deteriorating mental and physical health. Women were forced to become resourceful, scrimping to make ends meet by taking in lodgers, growing food in rooftop gardens, or even scavenging for food. They learned to make meals from nothing, using recipes such as ‘edible weed stew’ and (eggless, butterless) ‘depression cake’.

Life for African American women was particularly hard as they struggled against the dual problems of racism and economic depression. African American families were particularly hit by the Depression – in Philadelphia 39% of people on relief were black, and in Atlanta 70% of black workers unemployed. Low wages meant that even African Americans families with someone working were in poverty, and found that they were the first to be evicted if they were struggling to pay the rent. In Harlem in New York women coped by sharing accommodation, clothes and even 'hot-bedding', and by holding rent-parties to raise this week's rent. Harlem had more than 2,000 social, political and mutual aid societies.

Despite (or maybe because of?) these hardships, women showed remarkable resilience. They formed mutual support networks, shared resources, and participated in community activism. In some urban areas, women banded together to protest against evictions and poor working conditions. They played a vital role in maintaining social cohesion, organizing soup kitchens, and providing emotional and practical support to those in need. And they managed to have fun-on-the-cheap, going to Church, social clubs, pool halls, dances, baseball games, or taking in a cheap movie for 30c ticket … Harlem in particular had a very lively social and cultural scene.

Finally, it is important to remember that 75% of the workforce kept their job and therefore – though many had to accept lower wages and longer hours – in such familes wives found themselves as well-off (and sometimes actually better off) because prices of household essentials were fell. EVERY woman, however, could see what was happening to the very poor, sympathised, and feared that she might be the next.