Canadian Women In World War 2 Essay

1589 Words4 Pages

The Canadian men who served in World War II are well known and respected for their efforts, something many Canadians today fondly remember and are proud of. However one must not forget that without women forming the backbone of Canada and other allied countries, the outcome of the war could have been drastically different. Simply put, they were just as crucial as men in the war. Canadian women in the second world war changed from their previous roles of being good wives and mothers to fighting in the Canadian Armed Forces. Even those who were not on the front lines, served in the industry by taking male jobs which in turn freed more men to go overseas. Lastly, women were doing unpaid volunteer work back home (Mothers of the Home Front During …show more content…

Therefore, it’s no surprise that more than one million men and women served in the armed forces during the second world war (Stacey, 2013). While the majority of the armed forces were male, females were still placed in all 3 sections of the Canadian Armed Forces, with more than 6500 women in the Royal Canadian Navy (Stacey, 2013), approximately 17,000 women in the Royal Canadian Air Force and about 25,000 in the Canadian Army. (Stacey, 2013). Women’s divisions were created as early as 1941 as the government tried encouraging more women to join the Armed Forces enlisting women between the ages of 18 to 45 (The Canadian Women's Army Corp, 2014). The qualifications to enter were strict and women had to be put through vigorous training in camps at Vermilion, Alberta or Kitchener, Ontario (The Canadian Women's Army Corp, 2014). Women such as Juanita McKay and Vera Storey, who both trained in Vermilion remember enduring tough physical training, tear gas, driving jeeps, and reading maps (Kozicka, P., Clark, L., 2013). Although the conditions were difficult, they too pushed through it just like Canadian men.. Through the strenuous training, women became more independent, disciplined, and …show more content…

They were proved wrong. Paid at about 53% for the same job compared to men (The Impact of WWII on Women’s Work, n.d.) and taken time away from their traditional roles, they still gave it their all in supporting the country. Through this process, they became catalysts and advocates for gender equality. They demonstrated a strong will and desire to work for equal pay. Both the government and women were working together to permit more women into the workforce. The government provided state funding, which allowed 1345 nurseries to be built during the war, a dramatic increase from only 14 in 1940 (The Impact of WWII on Women’s Work, n.d.). As a result, More women remained in the workforce after WWII. Therefore, not only did women greatly assist in the industries during the war, but they set the standards for future employment of women after the

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