The work of women in production in Western Siberia at the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th centuries

The industrialization of Siberia accelerated after the beginning of construction of the Trans-Siberian railroad in the 1890s, which became the reason of cardinal changes in the social sphere. The changes affected the family of the emerging class of industrial proletariat. One of the major questions in research of formation of a new family type is the question of growth of female employment in industrial production. One of the most important issues in the study of a new family type formation is the issue of growth of female employment in the industrial production. The most complete data are provided by materials of the all-Russian census of 1897. In our research the data of Tomsk and Tobolsk provinces and Akmola area were used. On the whole, in Western Siberia and Akmola area the greatest number and specific percentage of women-workers were recorded in processing of fibrous substances - 11656 (67 %) women, the smallest quantity in smelting of metals - 1 (0.7 %), in construction - 91 (0.4 %). The specific quantity of women from working families fluctuated in regions from 9.3 % to 32.6 %, averaging across Western Siberia and Akmola area of 15.4 %. The highest proportion of working women was in the province of Tobolsk - 32.6 % (7622 people), the lowest in Tomsk province - 9.3 % (5793 people), it was slightly higher in Akmola region - 11.2 % (676 persons). Further, in 1908, the quantity of women in the Western Siberian factory industry was 15.5 %. In the European part of Russia this indicator equaled to 27.7 %. Among miners, women made up 8.5 %; at distilling, brewing and some other enterprises in 1905 - 13.5 %; at match factories - 38.1 %. In 1914 the total number of women working at the enterprises of Siberia was 16.6 %. In Russia of the period the number was 31.1 %. In Western Siberia, the trend in the involvement of women in productive activities, peculiar to the workers of Europe and Russia, appeared, the cause of which was the financial need. And although women's earnings were lower than men's, they made an essential contribution to the family income. Everywhere the observed increase in the share of women-workers was the result of cheap female labor, as well as their greater manageability. The specific feature of Siberia was lower representation of women in production that was a result of the weak development of industries traditionally exploiting female labor, sexual disproportion in favor of men, engagement of women in household duties and the traditional feature of insignificant use of female work by the former workmen of the Office.

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