Yes, Virginia, much was known and tried long ago, but many of these efforts toward more sustainable conditions were considered unrealistic and insufficiently profitable. Many were not spread.
Women were (are) still considered unfit, too weak or unskilled for many professions, and education systems were urging them to find a honest, hard-working husband - not to stand on their own feet (nobody thinks of widows, divorced or single parents). Furthermore, beauty standards were and still are more important than skills. All the scandals around many of the great stars and celebrities in the movie, music and other arts industries, in business and many other sectors, reflect too well, how success depends on the "right" links, supports, partners, affairs, sponsors and "amateurs" - including advertisement with "juicy details" - all that in spite of all the awareness campaigns.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/women/womens-life/9633359/Why-beauty-is-rarely-worth-it.html
(They also forgot to say that economic considerations of young women were also a means to give future children better opportunities and to provide care and support for elderly parents and relatives.)
And sexism is still wide-spread, if remembering a certain, utterly arrogant letter to a "Miss Pretty" aiming, seemingly, at becoming a kind of trophy woman (as educated), instead of trying to value her skills:
https://www.gamespot.com/forums/offtopic-discussion-314159273/pretty-girl-seeking-a-rich-husband-got-a-shocking--31102245/
- and here are two answers:
https://thoughtcatalog.com/dara-bascara/2014/03/a-letter-to-rich-men-from-a-pretty-woman/
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/natasha-koifman/jp-morgan-ceo-letter_b_3755188.html
As to Cooperative Alliances for sustainable systems and productions, certain "ennemies" from big profit, criminal and other sectors did not appreciate. Many volunteers and helpers trying to repair, clean up, etc., went "forgotten", while victims were mere figures ... And investments are slow to come and might not arrive to their destination. But after all the scandals and disasters, improvements and progresses were and still are very slow.
https://www.ft.com/content/fc3786fe-0c7f-11e6-b0f1-61f222853ff3
http://www.hooch.net/the-worlds-biggest-oil-industry-scandals/?view-all
https://usrtk.org/a-few-other-things-the-agrichemical-industry-doesnt-want-you-to-know-about-them-crimes-scandals-and-other-wrongdoing/
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2012/jul/29/nick-cohen-construction-workers-blacklist
https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2014/sep/17/truth-property-developers-builders-exploit-planning-cities
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2004/oct/14/italy.sophiearie
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2006_Ivory_Coast_toxic_waste_dump
https://www.thoughtco.com/coca-cola-groundwater-depletion-in-india-1204204