WOMEN IN INDUSTRY

GENERAL STATEMENT Shortage of man power and economic pressure necessitate the employment of millions of women in industry. Sufficient medical data are not available to draft final recommendations about the effect of various kinds of employment on the gynecologic or future obstetric health of unmarried or childless women, on the pregnant, puerperal or lactating women or on mothers with home and family responsibilities. However, it is common experience in industry that women absent themselves from work much more often than men and that the duration of individual absences tends regularly to be longer. The available data do not clearly assign the responsibility for this tendency directly to obstetric or gynecologic functions (although it has been taken for granted by some) as against ordinary causes of disability which are equally applicable to men. All of these relationships need careful study over an extended period of time. Therefore, the present report is