During the Time of World War I

During World War I, women were the main workers left in the United States. The men were recruited to join the war, so the multiple tasks of taking care of the home, while maintaining industrial jobs were bestow on women. According to Tae Kim, in her article Seattle General Strike: Where Women Worked During World War I, almost three million women were hired to work at stores, military's camps and jobs abandoned by fighters in the war. They were paid very little money, but with renewed strength, they strive for a better life for themselves and their children (Kim).

When America entered World War I, men went off to war, and women had to step in. They were recruited to what was seen as “men’s work”, such as postal workers, factory workers, railway guards, etc. Women were finally able to go to work, but equal pay was an ongoing issue from that point on. Women started to enjoy some basic rights that male citizens enjoyed but women were once denied. Rights such as being able to work and receiving an education, but they were still shut out, completely, from political activity.

Prior to World War II, many women were unemployed, due to the Great Depression which had started a decade before. With men always getting preference for jobs, there were very few jobs left for women. Consequently, not only were many occupations were reserved for men, but men were also paid wages up to five times higher for the same task as women. Some states also barred married women from holding jobs. However during World War II, America produced at an efficiency which was higher than ever. This meant that the women had an increasing number of jobs. Jobs in the public sector opened up. Since 1939, women progressively changed the idea of patriarchy and the cliché thinking of an average woman in the United States to be a wife and mother.

Jobs are currently available to women of any race, background, or ethnicity, and the age to go into an area of work has gradually decreased; for instance, some careers allow students to begin a job starting at the young age of fourteen. But working was not always an option for women. World War I was the stepping stone that pushed women into the workforce. As men were being drafted into the military, women stepped up into factory jobs, creating the necessary technology for America’s victory and emergence as a world power. In today’s government, women are joining the workforce because the economy calls for it. With high costs of raising children, college debt shooting through the roof, and gas prices going up, women are taking on similar roles to their husbands and providing two set incomes as opposed to

Women only worked in their homes caring for their family’s, they never had the opportunity to work outside of their homes in places such as factories or in the government and they had no benefits within the house until the war began. The war

Prior to World War II women were seen as house wives, taking care of children and tending the gardens. Women generally accepted these roles because family was a prior economic unit. Even during World War I the contributions were housewife like, washing clothing, cooking, helping the wounded, sewing, knitting clothing, and etc. The images of women taking care of the home while men were off working were so nailed into the head that some states banned women from jobs. Once the war started to take place the war effort was so great men and women had to set aside gender roles for the sake of their countries being. Women left families, education, and other jobs to work the jobs men took on while they were off serving the country in combat, etc.

Robert L. Daniel, author of, American Women in the Twentieth Century, explains that women were being recruited to work in various jobs (122). Single women, ones that did not hold responsibilities to a husband or family were employed first and women that had families were taken only as a last resort (Daniel 123). Daniel further explains, "The nation's need permitted an expansion of women's economic role without it being perceived as a feminist threat" (123). What women could offer was now found as valuable and useful. The public opinion of women made a drastic turn around from their previous attitudes. The government and the media no longer looked down upon women for entering the work force, but gave much encouragement (Chafe, 134). In magazines such as "Lifetime" there were even advertisements promoting women to work.

Women always played a prominent role in the history of America. Usually, women are considered to stay at home and raise their children. However, every individual should play an equal part in the society development by utilizing their skills and efforts. This spirit can be seen during World War II, when women realized the need of the hour and they decided to participate in war activities. Millions of women started to work outside the home and also worked in the military.

The millions of women who entered the workforce during the war were mostly married women. They broke away from the traditional image of housewives. Women were an essential part of the industry during the war; they took over the jobs of men. 10 months after Pearl Harbor, women started working in factories that manufactured gunpowder, parachutes, tanks, and supplies for the war. Even African American women gained job opportunities, but they were hired as a last resort by employers (Hartmann 60). From 1940-1945, the number of female workers increased by 50% from 12 million to 18 million (Rosie the Riveter). Women in the work force suffered from unfair wages and sexual harassment. Women were not allowed to compete for most jobs, and are often paid less even with the same work (Evans 217).

During World War 1 the majority of men went off to fight in the war, the factories back at home needed people to work in them so; women were allowed to work in those factories. But when WW1 ended and men came home, women had to give up their factory jobs and

When the men have left to go fight in the war overseas, they left their jobs. Because of all the holes in factories, they needed to be taken or the factories and businesses couldn’t keep up and everything would crumble. But since all the men were away, the women had to take over and fill in all the spots. On the home front, women worked in factories and in the government. Before the war, the women were supposed to be in the home

It was not until the first world war that women started to get involved in the labor force. “War was considered more important than anything else and society didn’t care about gender as much” (Ontario Human Rights Commision). Due to the men serving in the war, women took on the jobs left behind. Of course, after the war was over and the men returned, women went back to their household jobs but it was a start in the equality in the labor force. “The shift in gender roles took some getting used to, but by the end of the war, women had proved to themselves and to the country that they could do any job a man could- and do it well!”

During World War One Women joined the military and took the role as nurses. Women started to work as accountants, telephone operators, and steel mill workers.

When the First World War began in 1914, there was much discussion regarding the proper gender roles for British men and women. For men, the course of action seemed clear that they should enlist and fight. Yet, many men struggled under the pressure of warfare. For women, it was unclear how they should be involved in the war effort. Many men wanted the women to keep their traditional gender roles of taking care of the household. However, the lack of male workers on the home front required women to take on different work roles. The women received a great deal of praise and positive attention for their work as nurses, munitions workers, and military auxiliaries. However, men were critical

In 1920, women won the right to vote and they were gradually moving into the male-dominated labor force, but gender roles were not changing much. Due to the World War II draft, many women entered the labor force and even helped run the country. Upon the return of the veterans, many women were forced back into their homes. However, the opportunities for women were broadening and some women began making careers for themselves outside of the home. The 1960’s saw many feminist movements and in 1963 the Equal Pay Act was passed by Congress which enticed more women to get out of the house and into better careers.