why did the new deal work programs place a greater emphasis on empoying men and women?

 The New Deal work programs, established during the presidency of Franklin D. Roosevelt in response to the Great Depression, put a greater emphasis on employing men rather than women due to societal norms and expectations of the time. During the 1930s, the prevailing cultural norm was that men were the breadwinners of the family, and women's roles were primarily centered around domestic responsibilities. As a result, when unemployment soared during the Depression, there was significant societal pressure to provide jobs for men so they could fulfill their traditional role as the family's primary source of financial support.

This gender-biased employment emphasis was reflected in New Deal programs such as the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), which provided jobs for young, unmarried men in the conservation and development of natural resources in rural lands owned by federal, state, and local governments. Similarly, the Works Progress Administration (WPA) and other agencies focused mainly on creating manual labor jobs, which were more traditionally associated with male workers.

When women were employed through New Deal programs, they were often funneled into roles that aligned with traditional female professions, such as teaching, nursing, and sewing. These positions were typically fewer in number and often did not pay as well as jobs provided for men.