Women had the first opportunity for economic development during the Industrial Revolution which started in the 18th century. The introduction of technological improvements, such as the steam engine, developed by James Watt, laid the path to the creation of numerous machines that would be utilized in various fields.
This made it possible for business owners to hire women and children, as it was no longer necessary to have only skilled workers as machines made the job much easier. As a result, women started going to work in the factories as manufacturing jobs paid more than housekeeping jobs.