Female employment and economic development in the process of industrial revolutions: A rewiew specific to Turkey

The industrialization process has gone through four stages from the past to the present. The First Industrial Revolution began with the development of the steam engine at the end of the 18th century, which resulted in the relocation of production operations into factories. With the Second Industrial Revolution, electrical systems began to be used in production and mass production emerged. Following all these developments, the period of automation in production with the development of electronics and computer technology was with the Third Industrial Revolution. The Fourth Industrial Revolution occurred when technology advanced and intelligent machines began to be used in manufacturing. Each industrial revolution brought social and economic change to the era in which it occurred, but it also had an effect on the labor market and marked a pivotal moment for women in the workforce. The industrial revolution paved the way for women's entry into the industry and advancement to worker status in this regard. The aim of this study is to address the development of women's employment during the industrial revolutions and specifically to examine the situation of women in working life in Turkey and the contribution of women's employment to economic development with a literature review and statistical data. It is to explain the importance of women in the economy within the framework of new occupational groups emerging with the developing technology. The study examines the historical process of the industrial revolutions in an effort to explain how women's employment has evolved. In the study, it was concluded that women's employment is important in terms of economic development, but the policies implemented cannot increase women's employment at the desired level. It was stated in this direction that policies for gender inequality and women's employment should be developed, and policy recommendations were made to include women in existing and new occupational groups. Keywords: Gender Inequality, Gender Roles, Industrial Revolutions, Technology, Women's Employment