Figure 1.--Girls were less likely to work outside the home than boys. But there were all kinds if tasks around the home fior them. This colorized photograph shows two girls carrying water home during the 1920s in Paola, Calabria--southern Italy. Carrying a load on head was common southern Italian women, jut as in Africa, the Middle East, and in many other places. This was a practical matter. With the burden on the head, you could also carry somerhing in your hands. Also you could carry a larger weight om your head than you can carry. The girls do not fully have the skill down. Notice they have to use one of their hands.
Most of what we have found about child labor in Italy is about boys. This is certainly the case with the photographic record. This is diffrent from America where we finds girls working in factories and the garment industry, at least by the late-19th century as industry was taking hold in America. There were industry developing in northern Italy. We do know to what extent child labor was prevalent in Italy's developing industries. One industry that they did participate in was silk spinning mills, rather like the girls who worked in American cotton mills. Now while we have found only limited information on girls working in Italy like boys. That does not mean that they did not work. Generally girls worked around the home in a range of domestic duties. It should be remembered that until after World War I, donestic home making (cooking, laundry, house keeping, sewing, etc) required much more labor than is the case Laundry day in particular was an enormous laborious undertaking. In addition, girls also went into domestic service working in the homes of afluent families. This was not only rich people who might have large staffs, but middle class families which might only hire one or two persons to help maintain the home. Domestic service was largely for girls because of the domestic skills required and the greater willingness of their families to intrust girls to families.
Most of what we have found about child labor in Italy is about boys. This is certainly the case with the photographic record. This is diffrent from America where we finds girls working in factories and the garment industry, at least by the late-19th century as industry was taking hold in America. There were industry developing in northern Italy. We do know to what extent child labor was prevalent in Italy's developing industries. One industry that they did participate in was silk spinning mills, rather like the girls who worked in American cotton mills. An Italian reader writes, "Italian farmers do nit grow cotton. So there are no cotton mills. In northern Italy and in Tuscany many farms were breeding silkworms. Sp there were many silk spinning mills (filanda pl. filande). In early 20th century the spinners rmployed were almost all young girls. My grandmother, born in 1904 in a village near Milan, told me she starred working in a filanda after she finished the 3rd grade."
Home Duties
Now while we have found only limited information on girls working in Italy like boys. That does not mean that they did not work. Generally girls worked around the home in a range of domestic duties. It should be remembered that until after World War I, donestic home making (cooking, laundry, house keeping, sewing, etc) required much more labor than is the case Laundry day in particular was an enormous laborious undertaking.
Domestic Service
In addition, girls also went into domestic service working in the homes of afluent families. This was not only rich people who might have large staffs, but middle class families which might only hire one or two persons to help maintain the home. Domestic service was largely for girls because of the domestic skills required and the greater willingness of their families to intrust girls to families.
