Women's Rights In Ww2 Essay

Women's rights in WW2.

WW2 was an important stepping stone in initiating Women's rights in Australia. Women's

roles before the war were very basic and women didn't get many rights because men

were considered to be the leader of the household. There were many campaigns for

women in the war including campaigns for nursing and on the home front, although

some people argued that there should have been more campaigns for different roles in

the war. After the war, women's rights became more important to the government and

the general public. They were treated differently. New service roles were also opened

to women including work in the airforce, which was a big step. WW2 saw changes to the

roles that women played on the home and fighting

fronts.

Australian women's rights were generally pushed aside by the Government before the

Second World War. Generally it was accepted that women's roles were as nurturers and

home-makers. When women found employment in the Civil Service, medicine or

teaching they had to leave when they got married. It was considered destiny for them

to get married and have children. A working woman, who is married, was considered to

be taking a mans job which was not accepted in some society's. There were beliefs that

women were incapable of living any other life than at home, cleaning and devoting

their lives to their needs of their husbands and offspring. Those who chose not to stay

home were looked upon as immoral and selfish.

There were many different campaigns during the World War Two for Women including

nursing and on the home front. Although this could be argued that there should have

been more campaigns, as the roles for Women, such as volunteering in nursing, were

overcrowded. With many of their husbands and fathers fighting in the war, young and

middle-aged women had to look for a way to feed their families. At first the

Government discouraged women who wanted to volunteer in the military. When the war

started it became clear that women were needed to take over the men's jobs, freeing

them for combat. Women soon stepped into agricultural jobs. They were sent out to

farms: ploughing, harvesting, milking cows. They were essential in keeping up the food

supply. Nursing was dangerous service during the war. Many nurses were stationed at

Singapore, but some people and historians say that there were not enough and more

were needed to be sent, but the Government refused because they felt like women

couldn't do things as good as men. In the armed services, each branch formed their own

Auxiliary corps for women. These were not combat forces, as the Government

determined that no force was to be serving out of Australia.

As the situation became

more desperate, many were called overseas, particularly in New Guinea. They worked

on observation posts as anti-aircraft gunners, drivers, mechanics, and radio operators.

Some people in the Government were determined to send more over to other countries

to help that they would protest against there friends and families for women's rights in

World War Two.

The Second World War played an important part in initiating Women's rights. The

Government and general public thought different after the war of Women and their

capabilities. In the novel, When the War came to Australia, Dorthy Hewitt wrote ' The

war had a tremendous effect on the liberation of Women. To be important, that was

the thing: to be absolutely necessary for the running of the country.' This states that

women were needed to run the country once the war was over and women's rights were

taken into action. Women had played a significant role in the war and had contributed

to winning the war. It was then acknowledged that they would be given equal rights.

They were soon given the right to vote, and later on women were elected for

Government roles. In the domestic front, divorce laws became simpler and they

were

given equal rights if a divorce would have occurred. To women, getting to work was not

all about the money. They found it fun and enjoyable because they were not stuck in

the he house the whole day. It was the independence and self-motivation that that

working provided women.

A very big change in initiating women's rights were some of the new service roles offered

to Women.

They saw work in the airforce and the land army. Facing a severe manpower

shortage, women were expected to take over. A new Australian women airforce was

formed in July 1950 and in November became the Women's Royal Australian Air Force

(WRAAF). Enlistment for the Women's Royal Australian Army corps (WRAAC) began in

April 1951 and Women's Royal Australian Navy (WRANS) was also reconstituted in 1951.

Thirty three nurses deployed overseas during the Malayan Emergency and Australian

Service Women worked in British Commonwealth Occupation Force (BCOF) hospitals in

Japan and Korea during and after the war. There was more work for women, such as the

Women's Australian Auxiliary Air Force (WAAAF) Which reached full capacity by October

1944. Almost all of the services that were formed were not part of the existing navy,

airforce or land army but they were additional or supplementary to them.

WW2 was an important stepping stone in initiating Women's Rights in Australia. Women's

rights before the war were very limited and there were only certain things married

women could pursue. There were many campaigns during the war but some

people

argued that there could have been more as they needed as much as possible. The war

was important in initiating Women's rights to vote and work alongside mean and other

women. A few service roles were open to women including jobs in the Air Force, Land

army and in the Navy. WW2 changed the role and status of Australian women.