World War Two: Women In The Workforce

World War Two changed the world as we knew it. With most men going off to war the women stayed behind to look after the hearth, but with so many of the men off to war the workforce was left without a majority of its able bodied workers. Which meant that women had to take up jobs in the workforce. Inspiring women to work during World War Two was accomplished by Rosie the Riveter who not only helped convince women to stay on in the work force even after the war ended and left long lasting impressions that changed the way women are viewed today. Before Rosie Came Along Having a women in the workforce wasn’t very common. With very few to no women having jobs before World War Two men occupied the majority of the jobs. With men being the main
With most men fighting and jobs left forgotten. Many of the job posts such as factory workers and doctors. As well as reporters, even an all women's baseball league was formed. “Many Factory owners did not want to hire women. They said women could not use big machines. some said women were not smart or tough enough. but factories needed workers. They soon rushed to hire women. “If you can drive a car you can run a machine,” they said. (Price 8-9)”. Though factory owners were reluctant they did hire women. If they were famous they earned a nickname of sorts, such a s”Rosie the Riveter”. Another famous women was “Wendy the Welder” who worked right alongside Rosie. The name Rosie the riveter actually came from a song which was written to inspire women to work. The song speaks of Rosie's bravery and selfless acts in building planes. “While other girls attend their favorite cocktail bar, Sipping dry Martinis, munching caviar, There's a girl who's really putting them to shame Rosie is her name (Evans and Loeb).” This verse of the song clearly shows that Rosie is meant to be an inspiration and role model for housewives of the time. So instead of staying home they would go out and get jobs to support their families and assist in the war effort. Women also took jobs in the army as nurses or soldiers, even as baseball players, which used to be considered an all male sport. “People
With World War Two long over women still remained in the workforce, but it took a long time for them to be viewed as equals. Most people also expected women to the workforce to make room for the men returning from war. The exact opposite happened and the women stayed in the workforce, with the intent of remaining in their jobs. Though some people saw women as a nuisance in the workforce. ”What’s become of Rosie the Riveter?” asked Frieda S. Miller in the New York Times of May 5, 1946. She answered: “Yesterday’s war worker (is) today’s housewife.”(Foner 478-479)”. With women remaining on the workforce most jobs were filled and the amount of available ones was limited. The view of women in society was changing and no one knew what was going to happen next, especially with government propaganda everywhere. “The Saturday Evening Post’s wartime cover glorifying “Rosie the Riveter” was supplanted by covers featuring Norman Rockwell’s idealization of the housewife. (Foner 478-479)”. With the government controlling the majority of the news propaganda was everywhere. Their main objective was to try and get women to go back to staying at home and letting men rejoin the workforce. But as time went on people eventually accepted that women were going to remain in the workforce. Though women remained in the workforce many were fired from their jobs, with the only excuse being they belong in the house not a