The Changing Roles Of Women During World War II
Women and World War II Eighteen million women worked in the work force during World War II. World War II caused a change on how women were being portrayed. As a result of the war, they took on different gender roles; the military created divisions where women could serve; and women’s rights were affected. Traditionally, women were usually found at home as a mother, a wife, a teacher and as a housekeeper. Women were discouraged from working , while men would leave the home to work and provide for the family. This didn’t change until the year 1940 when the United States actually was at war and women were recruited. During this year women were portrayed differently. In 1930s during the depression, women were portrayed in the home, but in the years of war, women were pictured as heroines since they were in the assembly lines working. During this time, waves of women stepped up to work as men went overseas to
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fight. They were portrayed by “Rosie the Riverter”. “Rosie the Riverter was and still is an iconic figure of the women who worked in defense industries during World War II. A composite of the experiences of many real women and their stories” (Strobel). Women went on and changed the way they were living to help their men fight. Women learned how to drive trucks, repair airplanes, work as a laboratory technicians, rigged parachutes, serve as radio operators, analyzed photographs, few military aircrafts across country, test- flew newly repaired planes, trained anti-aircraft artillery guns by acting as flying targets and becoming spies. Women had to show leadership as they took on men’s traditional roles. Allowing women’s roles to change which allowed women to have a chance to experience and learn new things. As women’s roles changed, the military created an expansion of division allowing women to serve. Women were able to take officer positions in the armed force in order to free men from fighting. Military branch were created, “ including the Women’s Army Corps (WAC), Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service (WAVES), and Women air force Service Pilots (WASP)” (“Research”). Although women had more positions opening the military branches, women were still not allowed to enter the combat zone unless they became a nurse to help the men that were injured in combat. Most women were pleased when WAVES was created because they were recruited into the Navy training camps to teach on the college campus or they even trained Navy airmen how to use aircrafts. Most of the women served as WAVES which were in many naval stations. The Navy did not disband WAVES because they realized the benefits of women in the military. By the end of the war the government realized that they had made a humongous mistake when the men came back from war and the women were told to go back to their traditional jobs. Military made changes to divisions allowing women to serve. As World War II came to an end women recognized that they are being created differently from the rest of the people.
Women were not being treated equal because men got paid 25% more. In a way this created the gender pay gap. Women veterans encountered road blocks as they tried to take an advantage of benefits and programming for veterans, like the G.I .Bill . Women were not allowed to access these government benefits even though they qualified. Although the government forced them back to work in traditional roles, they found a way to work without actually labeling it as work. Many families wanted or even needed the extra income, requiring the wife to work for earnings. They called it the Tupperware home sales, where women will work from homes part-time. They did not even have to call it “work” instead they called it “having parties” (“American”). They will join together and do a home party selling Tupperware, allowing women to have income. Now Tupperware are sold everywhere. Who would have thought that it started because of the women during World War
II. World War II allowed women to be seen differently from traditional roles. Creating the beginning of a change for women in the work place, in military and the beginning of a movement toward equality.
fight. They were portrayed by “Rosie the Riverter”. “Rosie the Riverter was and still is an iconic figure of the women who worked in defense industries during World War II. A composite of the experiences of many real women and their stories” (Strobel). Women went on and changed the way they were living to help their men fight. Women learned how to drive trucks, repair airplanes, work as a laboratory technicians, rigged parachutes, serve as radio operators, analyzed photographs, few military aircrafts across country, test- flew newly repaired planes, trained anti-aircraft artillery guns by acting as flying targets and becoming spies. Women had to show leadership as they took on men’s traditional roles. Allowing women’s roles to change which allowed women to have a chance to experience and learn new things. As women’s roles changed, the military created an expansion of division allowing women to serve. Women were able to take officer positions in the armed force in order to free men from fighting. Military branch were created, “ including the Women’s Army Corps (WAC), Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service (WAVES), and Women air force Service Pilots (WASP)” (“Research”). Although women had more positions opening the military branches, women were still not allowed to enter the combat zone unless they became a nurse to help the men that were injured in combat. Most women were pleased when WAVES was created because they were recruited into the Navy training camps to teach on the college campus or they even trained Navy airmen how to use aircrafts. Most of the women served as WAVES which were in many naval stations. The Navy did not disband WAVES because they realized the benefits of women in the military. By the end of the war the government realized that they had made a humongous mistake when the men came back from war and the women were told to go back to their traditional jobs. Military made changes to divisions allowing women to serve. As World War II came to an end women recognized that they are being created differently from the rest of the people.
Women were not being treated equal because men got paid 25% more. In a way this created the gender pay gap. Women veterans encountered road blocks as they tried to take an advantage of benefits and programming for veterans, like the G.I .Bill . Women were not allowed to access these government benefits even though they qualified. Although the government forced them back to work in traditional roles, they found a way to work without actually labeling it as work. Many families wanted or even needed the extra income, requiring the wife to work for earnings. They called it the Tupperware home sales, where women will work from homes part-time. They did not even have to call it “work” instead they called it “having parties” (“American”). They will join together and do a home party selling Tupperware, allowing women to have income. Now Tupperware are sold everywhere. Who would have thought that it started because of the women during World War
II. World War II allowed women to be seen differently from traditional roles. Creating the beginning of a change for women in the work place, in military and the beginning of a movement toward equality.