Women in the gutenberg galaxy

Abstract

The aim of this study is to explore the situation of women in the printing industry. It examines the effects of their increasing participation in the industry. It also looks at the extent to which the principles of equal opportunities and equal treatment apply to them. Publications on the subject were identified through a systematic literature search based on Web of Science. The results of the literature review are organized around four themes. Numerous publications have appeared around the extraordinary and successful women who ran printing workshops before the industrial revolution after losing their entrepreneurial husbands or fathers. After the industrial revolution, i.e., the spectacular mechanization of industry, women mainly performed simpler, skilled work as folders and seamstresses, i.e., they were involved in the less prestigious and lower-paid tasks of book production. In addition, the works of art created by women and the innovations in their approach often did not receive the spotlight they deserved at the time. Throughout history, women in several countries have tried to break male dominance by joining forces in various ways. In England, for example, in response to the "threatening" behaviour of trade unions, women formed their own printing organization, the Women's Printing Society. Today, women's movements still exist in the printing industry, mainly in Anglo-Saxon countries. A targeted questionnaire survey of 32% of all employees in the Hungarian printing industry was conducted to assess the proportion of women employed in the printing industry by education and position. The aim and result of the study are twofold: to draw attention to the importance of the issue and to provide international examples to shape attitudes.