Women’s Liberation

Fill in the blanks with the appropriate transitions from below:

However, as a result, nevertheless, in addition to this, for example, second,

due to, for instance, in conclusion, consequently, even though, as a result

Since the middle of this century, women around the world have been seeking
greater independence and recognition. No longer content with their traditional roles as
housewives and mothers, women have joined together to create the women’s liberation
movement. While the forces behind this international movement vary, the basic causes
in the United States can be traced to two events: the development of effective birth-control
methods as well as the invention of labor-saving devices at home, and the effects can be
felt in the family and in business.

The first cause of the liberation of women was the development of effective birth-
control methods, freeing women from the endless cycle of childbearing and rearing. -----
--------------------- of having a choice as to when and if to bear children, women acquired
the freedom and the time to pursue interests outside of the home. Because of the
development of birth control, women could delay having children or avoid having them
altogether; --------------------------, women had the opportunity to acquire an education
and/or pursue a career.

Another event was the development of mechanized labor-saving devices for the
home, resulting in more leisure time and freedom for women. --------------------------, fifty
years ago, a housewife spent an average of twelve to fourteen hours doing housework. -
------------------------- the invention of machines such as vacuum cleaners, washing
machines, and dishwashers, a housewife can now take care of her daily housework in
about five hours.
 One of the biggest effects of the greater independence of women today is being
felt in the home. The traditional husband-wife relationship is undergoing a radical
transformation. --------------------------, because so many women are working, men are
learning to share the household tasks of cooking, cleaning, and caring for children. In
most American families, the husband still earns most of the money, and the wife still does
most of the housework. --------------------------, the child-rearing system in the United States
is changing as a result of women’s increasing participation in the away-from-home work
force. The number of mothers going out for jobs tripled from 1950-1987 to more than
twelve million; --------------------------, millions of children are being reared by paid childcare
workers in infant, preschool, and after-school daycare programs instead of by their
mothers at home.

--------------------------, the effects of women’s liberation are being felt not only in the
home but also at the job site. In 1986, almost 48 million women age 16 and over were
employed. This number represents 44 percent of the total paid work force in the United
States. Most women still work in low-paying, low-status occupations as secretaries,
salesclerks, elementary school teachers, and healthcare workers. --------------------------, in
the last two decades, more women have entered the new high-technology industries; by
1986, for example, 34 percent of all computer programmers were women. ------------------
--------, there has been a slow but steady increase in the number of women who have
risen to executive and managerial positions in business and who have entered the
traditionally male professions of architecture, engineering, medicine, and law.

--------------------------, women in the United States are acquiring greater

independence, which is causing sweeping changes at home and at work. -------------------
-------, American women do not yet have the equality with men that women in some
Western countries like Sweden enjoy, they are making steady gains. The full impact of
this process on society remains to be seen.