that 45% was to a significant extent poor women doing unskilled labor: maids, factory workers, cooks. not office workers
however, shirley did not found her company 'freelance programmers' in 01975
she founded it in 01959
the ensuing 20 years were among the most successful years in history for feminism in the usa and uk, marked by, among other things, rapidly growing female participation in the labor force
if you were a computer programmer, high school teacher, or secretary before you got married, it might be the case that the only jobs open to you after marriage were factory worker and maid, both involving a substantial risk of sexual abuse and resulting marital rupture. even as a programmer, shirley reported experiencing 'being fondled, being pushed against the wall'
also, if you had a baby, usually you got fired because you couldn't come to work for months or even years (unless you could afford a nanny), and then you had to start your career again from the beginning at a new job
underrepresentation in upper-class jobs was a real issue, but far from the only one
however, shirley did not found her company 'freelance programmers' in 01975
she founded it in 01959
the ensuing 20 years were among the most successful years in history for feminism in the usa and uk, marked by, among other things, rapidly growing female participation in the labor force