▁begin ▁experience ▁up ward ▁so cio e conom ic ▁mob ility ▁with ▁the ▁American ▁women ' s ▁rights ▁movement ▁as ▁they ▁gained ▁new ▁civil ▁libert ies . ▁By ▁the ▁out break ▁of ▁World ▁War ▁I , ▁as ▁they ▁experienced ▁growing ▁responsibility ▁and ▁freedom ▁on ▁the ▁home ▁front , ▁an ▁increasing ▁number ▁of ▁women ▁were ▁using ▁c igare tt es ▁as ▁a ▁tool ▁to ▁challenge ▁traditional ▁ideas ▁about ▁female ▁behavior . ▁However , ▁it ▁would ▁ultimately ▁be ▁the ▁to b acco ▁industry ' s ▁powerful ▁market ing ▁influence ▁that ▁would ▁turn ▁the ▁cig aret te ▁from ▁a ▁social ▁li ability ▁into ▁an ▁accepted ▁and ▁des irable ▁comm od ity ▁for ▁women ▁to ▁open ly ▁indul ge ▁in . ▁However , ▁many ▁question ▁whether ▁or ▁not ▁the ▁cig aret te ▁would ▁have ▁become ▁so ▁u bi quit ous ▁among ▁women ▁if ▁the ▁to b acco ▁industry ▁had ▁not ▁seized ▁on ▁the ▁liber ating ▁social ▁climate ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 9 2 0 s ▁and ▁ 3 0 s ▁to ▁explo it ▁the ▁ideas ▁of ▁em an cip ation ▁and ▁power ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁rec ruit ▁the ▁un t apped ▁female ▁market . ▁ ▁Target ing ▁women ' s ▁wa ist lines ▁The ▁President ▁of ▁the ▁American ▁Tob acco ▁Company , ▁Per c ival ▁Hill , ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁first ▁to b acco ▁execut ives ▁to ▁seek ▁out ▁the ▁women ' s ▁market . ▁Not ing ▁the ▁ 1 9 2 0 s ▁pen chant ▁for ▁b ob bed ▁hair ▁cut s , ▁short ▁sk