After a discussion of the patterns of female labor force activity and the trend toward increased participation in the labor force by women between 1900 and 1975, this paper points to the need to re-examine traditional ideas about women and work and to develop a model of female occupational behavior based on a human development approach. Four theories, those of Roe, Holland, Ginzberg, and Super, which respectively represent the trait-factor, personality, self-concept, and vocational development theories of occupational behavior, are described. The theories are then evaluated for their applicability to women and for their relevance to a human development approach. Stating that Super's theory of vocational development comes closest to satisfying the developmental criteria but that it still has serious limitations, the paper concludes that either major revision of existing theory or formulation of new theoretical perspectives is necessary for the development of a model of female occupational behavior. Figures accompany the discussions of the four theories, and four pages of references are appended. (LMS)