Question

Why were the factory owners inclined towards hiring women and children over men?

• A. Men were not skilled.
• B. Women and children were hired because they were paid less than men.
• C. There were not many men.
• D. Women and children were more meticulous in their work.

Answer 1

The correct option is B Women and children were hired because they were paid less than men.

Factory owners preferred to employ women and children over men because they could be made to work in poor working conditions for lower wages than men. For a certain work, if men were paid 25 shillings, then women were paid 7 shillings and children 1 shilling. Spinning and weaving factories depended on women. Children were trained to use cotton spinning jenny. Some factories were packed with machines and only children could walk through them.