National Institute of Houseworkers

Between the world wars, domestic work was the largest employer of female labour in Britain. 1.3 million women worked in the field in 1931. This work was physically demanding, provided poor wages, and limited workers' freedom and leisure time, and was also not well respected. The committee was concerned with the shortage of domestic workers and its impact on working women who were seen as carrying a "double burden" of paid work outside the home and unpaid domestic labour. Eugenic concerns about birth rates amongst professional women were connected with this, as women were seen as not wanting to have children without domestic support in the house. This recommended the creation of an Institute of Homeworkers, creation of which was announced by George Isaacs in February 1946. == Work ==

The National Institute of Houseworkers was formally incorporated as a non-profit organisation in June 1946 to raise the status of domestic work and attract more workers. Dorothy Elliott was the chair until 1959. The Institute received grants from the Ministry of Labour, including around £75,000 in 1949 and £114,000 in 1950. By the 1970s, most domestic labourers worked in institutional settings such as hospitals, hotels, or schools. In December 1971, the new Conservative government announced that the NIH would close. == References ==