Working Women During World War II

Working Women During World War II

Women needed during World War II
During the six years of World War II more and more women were joining into the public workforce. “Rosie The Riveter” became a main campaign in order to persuade women to work. In movies, newspapers, posters, photographs, articles, and even a Norman Rockwell-Painted Saturday Evening Post cover, the Rosie the Riveter campaign stressed the patriotic need for women to enter the workforce. Which they did in massive numbers. Though women were crucial to the war effort, their pay continued to lag far behind their male counterparts. Female workers rarely earned more than 50 percent of male wages. With twelve million men fighting overseas, women were inserted into the workforce of

the United States during World War II.
Women Workforce is Uncommon
“Women who already were working before the war were first to take the step up from traditional female jobs of housekeeping and waitressing …” (Brinkley 253). Though many women were needed to keep the workforce going, they still were not usually paid even half of what men receive. Most women still worked within the home. With most men away fighting women became the main workforce. Almost every task that had recently been restricted to men was now taken over by women. Some jobs included bus conductors, train signal operators, drivers, mechanics, clerical workers, shipwrights, and engineers ( Adams 34). Women were excited that they were finally able to work and have a jobs that actually require intelligence out of them.
New job opportunities opening up during WWII
Posters began appearing with smiling working women and captions like “I’m proud … my husband wants me to do my part!” (Brinkley 253). Many women were intrigued with this new opportunity opening up for them. The fictional character “Rosie the Riveter” became an extremely persasive symbol of the six million women who joined the workforce during the war (Brinkley 255). These two forms of pathos made women anxious to begin working and showing they are just as strong as men, if not stronger. Women already working before the war were the first to take the step up from traditional female jobs of housekeeping and waitressing (Brinkley 253). Since women were needed businesses were increasing their pay towards women, to try to encourage them to work for them. Unfortunately for women, the pay usually was not even half of what the men receive. “The government mounted an all-out public relations effort to change attitudes toward women in jobs outside the home, in hopes of easing the transition for many women and the men in their lives.” (Brinkley 253). Because of this, the attitudes toward women have changed forever. Some of the American women’s new jobs included making bombs,airplanes, ships, tanks, and running the railroads and other vital services (Adams 35). There is a lot more job opportunities available to women but these are just a few.

Women workforce after WWII
“After the war, attitudes toward women in the workplace changed forever” (Adams 34).

Most people have gained more respect for women. Which is good because now women can actually work and help to provide food for their families. Though women were happier now Hitler mocked Americans for putting their women to work. The role of German women, he said, was to be good wives and mothers and to have more babies for the Third Reich” (History.com Staff). With this being said women were angered by this racism that Hitler was implying by saying this. “First, I hope that if they have done well and shown staying power and ability, they suffer no more in the period of readjustment than do men. They should not be penalized or discriminated against as women” (Platt 3). Many women joined together and started a rally to try to gain their rights to continue to

work.
Women not allowed to work before WWII
Most men believed that it was their duty to provide for their wives and children. They also believed that their wives should stay home and take care of their children and keep the house clean. In Germany, Mothers would receive medals for producing enormous numbers of children” (Adams 34). Because of this women were strongly encouraged to stay at home and raise their children. Along with them being home all the time they were expected to keep the house clean, they were also expected to cook dinner for their husband and children.
VI. Conclusion/Critical Thinking Section
With twelve million men fighting overseas, women were inserted into the workforce of the United States during World War II.

Women became the main workforce while almost all the men went off to fight in World War II. As men began shipping off to battle, they left their wives, sisters, and mothers behind. They also left behind millions of jobs, the ones they vacated and the new ones needed to help with the war. As a result, hundreds of thousands of women entered the workforce. In factories, women built weapons, planes, and tanks to help the boys overseas. They took control of stores and farms, and organized fundraisers to keep spirits high. Rosie the Homemaker became known as Rosie the Riveter, a symbol of the evolving role of women during this era. The economic boom created by the wartime industry pulled the nation out of the Great Depression, paving the way for postwar prosperity. And the dedicated effort of working Rosies’ across the country propelled the nation toward victory. Women helped keep our country together during the war. Our lives, our country, our entire world would be extremely different if women were not encouraged to enter the

workforce.