Women's Roles During Ww2

Pearl Harbor attack by the Japanese Navy was a surprise strike that led to the entrance of United States into World War II. American society was transformed; patriotic men were urged to leave behind their families and enter into the military. The absence of men issued women, the natural caregivers and housewives, to take on workforce responsibilities. World War II gave birth to a new nation forever changing the roles of women in the United States. All women on the homefront were affected by the changes caused by the war. For numerous women, the war was gave them time to gain strength, independence and responsibilities in areas majority of women were oblivious towards. This was the cause for Mrs. Helen Litts and American women; pressures of husbands, fathers, sons, and children abandonment to the war, experienced food and money rationing, blackouts, changes in fashion, and new duties due to the effects of the war.
World War II introduced the first time women were commonly allowed into the working

industries of America. The new roles of women and invincible mentality was symbolized the image of Rosie the Riveter helping women to expand their horizons and encourage confidence. Millions of women were sitting in offices, monitoring factory machines, and on military bases tending to soldiers as nurses on the front lines.
The dynamic within homes as result of husbands, boyfriends, fathers or sons departing to war affected household. Young women, like Litts, attended schools with eventual young war soldiers observing many of the young men obtain “war diplomas.” This phenomenon changed the demographics within schools, leaving mostly young women to finish out their educations without the presence of their male classmates ( ). Litts illustrates her experience as:“mostly girls in school… a lot of the young men went [into the military] as soon as they turned seventeen. My husband fought in the war and was drafted at eighteen”; Litts states, “They went into the service one way or another.” Men who obtained a “war diploma” were expected to finish high school after services were completed in military. To many mothers, their sons left as boys and returned as men. United States entrance into war caused an was increase of marriages as young females hurriedly into marriage of their sweethearts before men were shipped overseas ( ). These young women were known as “wartime” brides. “I was not rushing into marriage; Litts states, but many of my girlfriends did at ages that are considered fairly young today.”

Rationing originally established in English culture and introduced in the United States in an effort to fairly distribute scarce goods and keep prices reasonable to avoid inflation( ). Pamphlets were distributed to families to rationalize items such as: gasoline, coffee, sugar, shoes, clothes. When asked about how people felt about rationing, Litts responded; “Nobody complained. It was for the efforts of the war.” Rationing items was a turning point for women in the home-front due to their involved of the war directly at home.
The Office of Price Administration (OPA) hired a panel of twenty-thousand housewives to represent the population( ), this allowed women to help represent and determine on the values of the items that were being purchased changing the way that women were able to care for their families during the War; untimely, helping preparation became more productive. Women also began an “underground economy”, in which rationalized items were traded with other women depending on each other’s specific needs. Lits describes the underground economy, “I heard about it going on, but we didn’t do it. Mother tried her best to not let the war affect our home drastically.” Homemakers were also encouraged to save all the excess fat rendered from cooking and donate it to the army to produce explosives( ).
A war preparation used in World War II, commonly known as a blackout, greatly affected families on the homefront. The practiced minimized outdoor lighting and covering of windows to prevent enemy aircraft from identifying targets by clear sight ( ). “They would blow a siren; Litts stated, the raid warden would come would for the lights and make sure that the black shades were on... that is what we had to do to keep the lights from showing on the beach.” People living on the coastal regions; such as Long Island, New York the resident of Litts, commonly experienced these drastic procedures. Evening activities were cancelled or proceeded during the day. Work hours also began earlier and were completed all during daytime.

The rationing of fashion affected women and families on the home-front. Americans were unable to freely purchase items; there was virtually nothing for consumers to buy ( ). Patsy said, “we took make up and painted our legs so someone would take an eyebrow pencil and draw a seam down the back of our legs so it looked like we had stockings on.” Limitation of supplies lead to a change in fashion. Dyes became unavailable, and many women wore dark colors. Artificial fibers became popular and coats were made out of rabbit, seal, or beaver ( ). Gratitude towards personal belongings Litts explains: “we mended any damages or rips instead of throwing them out.

The image commonly known as “Rosie the Riveter” debuted in 1943 with the slogan “We Can Do It” in an effort to promote working women( ).

The departure of men left an increasing amount of vacant jobs that needed filled. Women were amused about the notion to enter the workforce and having an primary involvement in the war. When asked about women’s roles during WWII, Litts said, “A lot entered the workforce, and some had already worked before.[They] worked in the factory doing munitions or had pink collar jobs. I worked in a bank… that was white collar.”In the United States, pink collar workers performed duties in the service industry. In contrast, workers who performed manual labor services were consider blue collar workers, and the typical professional office workers were called white collar. United States factories supplied war production. Women entered jobs that were not only white collar but even entered blue collar jobs that were usually done by men(

).
The War ended in August 1945, and the men returned home back to the working industries that were left tended by women. For most industries, interest, in regards to, including women as workers fairly existed. Women were expected to return to pre war gender roles as homemakers and child bearers; and as for men roles, it was conisdered a duty to one’s country going to war and preserving the American way of life. In spite of many women returning home, other women, especially one’s of lower and middle finanical wages, found working as an enjoyment outside of home. The exposure of freedom that was experienced through the workforce molded a contrasting attitude of numerous women. The new era of “working woman” was one that Litts had experienced her entire life and became an norm after traditions her mother engaged in modify, even though men continued to feel discomfort with the idea of women completing duties commonly achieved by men.
Women’s lives during World War II changed dramatically at home, workplace, fashion, and everyday routines. Americans as a whole pulled together to ration items, volunteer, donate, and support one another. Litts interview on World War II expressed the patriotism that was seen each day on the home front in affects to win the war. Litt’s oral history interview supported historical evidence and provided insight into the lives of young middle class women and families, but not society in its entirety. Due to Litt’s race, gender, and social status she saw the Wartime era as a time of unity and patriotism in the United States. After World War II countless women went back to traditional homemakers lives, but even their lives had been changed forever by the War.