"I think the girl who is able to earn her own living and pay her own way should be as happy as anybody on earth. The sense of independence and security is very sweet."1 Women were in the right to pursue protection for themselves during the progressive era and if not for themselves then at least for people like them. With slavery and true womanhood ideologies all but gone from America it was the working woman that became important in the sphere of equality and security.
To begin with, all living creations natural right to live as they see fit without obstructing or damaging rights of others, is a privilege all should enjoy for it is limited to those that live. A working woman is not excluded from this ideology for she bares more burden in it than man and her struggle is continuous even in today's society. They endure the pain of child bearing for nine months, child rearing for close to twenty years, and a monthly discomfort lasting a week on average. Imagine a working woman going through all this while performing at her highest efficiency possible to provide for her family in addition to being a home maker. Women were not safe in the public sphere especially within the labor force, enduring harsh working conditions, sexual harassment and unequal pay.
Furthermore, to tackle their obstacle, if women were to improve their wages and working conditions through labor organization, they were going to have to find assistance from allies of gender, not of class.2 From this explanation The Women's Trade Union League (WTUL) was established with an aim "to develop leadership among the women workers, inspiring them with a sense of personal responsibility for the conditions under which they work."3 This organization, however, required support from others similarly goal oriented unions. The American Federation of Labor (AFL) or Industrial Workers of the World (IWW), to which only the IWW remained allied with WTUL.
