50 years ago
The report of an enquiry into the employment of qualified women scientists and engineers in private manufacturing industry shows clearly that, in general, industry in Britain is a man-dominated world and is likely to remain so for many years to come ... From the survey one conclusion is inescapable. Employers are reluctant to employ educated women scientists and engineers mainly because, on economic grounds, they are a bad risk ... From the employer's point of view, their years of useful service before beginning full-time duties in their homes is very limited. All the well-meaning protestations by women's organizations will not make young women scientists and engineers anything but a bad industrial investment compared with their male counterparts. Most educated women know this and accept this.
From Nature 28 January 1961
100 Years Ago
In his article on “Sex Relationship”, Dr. R. J. Ewart said, in commenting on the present excess of females over males:—“The result of this is to produce in a community a section of women who cannot possibly perform that function for which they were fashioned. Their energies are naturally directed into other spheres, as evidence of which we see the revival of movement for political recognition.” ... Dr. Ewart errs in attributing to a purely physical cause a movement which really arises from a mental and moral awakening — and, indeed, his whole article is full of unsupported assertions and loose reasoning; but I should not have ventured to criticise it had he not so clearly allowed his judgment to be warped by his political bias.
Hertha Ayrton
From Nature 26 January 1911
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50 & 100 years ago. Nature 469, 480 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1038/469480a
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/469480a