What Effect Does The War Have On The Roles Of Women

Before World War II, women were expected to get married, raise kids, do housework, and obey their husbands. This all changed when World War II came around. The men were busy at war, so someone had to take over their jobs. The government considered having children across the country fill in, but society chose the women to do it instead. The government depicted work only as a necessity, only temporarily, not as a way to change a women’s rights or freedom.

Throughout history women have been the underdog. They have no other use than to mother a child, cater to their spouse and take care of the home. Women are more than housekeepers and have much more capabilities than men realized especially before World War II. The change in role for women before, during and after World War II shifted dramatically, some for better and some for worst.

On September 3rd 1939 World War II started in Europe. During World War II, more than 16 million American men served in the military. While this large portion of the population was overseas fighting for the United States, women had to do many of the jobs in America normally held by men. Women were considered vital assets to the war effort, and the American government made sure to use their skills and labor in many different areas to win the war. Women contributed to the successful war effort by working society, documenting the war effort, and supporting the soldiers.

In the years after the Second World War, people created uncountable numbers of historiographical research on various topics related to the war, such as military tactics in battles, individual groups of men during their time in service, and other such subjects. Not much surprise exists then, that women’s actions in World War II eventually would also gain interest and publication for the public, though it did not gain an undivided focus until the advent of women’s and social history grew momentum. Women, despite being half of the world’s population, doubtlessly had acted during the war years, although limited by social gender expectations of the period. As time passes from 1945, more interest in the lives of women and their effect on the war

Women in World War II started replacing men in traditional roles, which proved to society that women were capable of work reserved for men. Due to labour shortages and the need for men to fight overseas, the government was forced to allow women to take a more active role. Women had a broad range of duties and responsibilities, most women were trained in many of the home-front tasks, subsequently, that more service men could be freed to join the overseas forces, this created new employment opportunities for women (Carrodus et al, 2012, p. 113). Tens of thousands of women joined the Women 's Air Force, Naval and Army Services during World War II. (Big Black Dog Communications Pty Ltd, et al, 2009). As seen Appendix 2, women in the services were significant as they were beginning to perform all types of work, from intelligence officers to drivers, typists and cooks, to wireless telegraphists and aircraft ground staff. To go from being dependent on

The contribution of women to the war effort changed drastically throughout World War One and the 1920’s. Their role in the beginning of the war was not very significant. Women, for the most part, were expected to be primarily involved in "duties at home" and "women's work" but as time progressed, their roles during the war changed drastically due to employment, The Person’s Case and the change of women in society. Women's involvement in the war effort undoubtedly helped Canada win the war.

Society on both sides varied in terms of race, social class, and gender. This included both for African Americans and the general women population. Though women played an important role in the war as spies or nurses women were mostly discouraged in medical administration and military service. They had to prove whether they were worthy for the job by being able to withstand grisly conditions especially full of male strangers. Some women craved fighting which led to some incidences where women disguised as men to fight in the war; these were the “woman in battle”. Women did many other things other than medical work which included serving meals, sending letters to soldiers, and laundry. Nevertheless, women were mostly restricted from military service. They had to be highly skilled otherwise would be of no

On December 7, 1941, Japanese planes attacked Pearl Harbor, killing thousands at the base and prompting the United States to declare war against Japan. The United States joined the Allied Powers in World War II and their presence helped to turn the tides against Germany and the Axis Powers. Upwards of 16 million American men left their homes and joined the military to fight for their country. To fill their places, women took on a multitude of new responsibilities in order to keep the homefront stable and prosperous while the war waged abroad. Encouraged by the likes of “Rosie the Riveter”, women took jobs in industries that were previously exclusive to men, including factories that created weapons and aircrafts used by the military. As needs for soldiers abroad increased, product availability at home was scarce, especially in the aftermath of the Great Depression, meaning that families were forced to ration their food and use

The role of women was extremely important for America during WW2 and were appreciated for their hard work, but not for ever. On the home front many of “ the people of this community respected women who work [ed] regardless of the type of work.” (Women Working at the Home Front). The women were respected by the people because they showed that a women, no matter the job, could also help with the fight, except without a gun. Women were determined to perform the job as long as they needed to and some enjoyed their newly found jobs, but they knew that “some jubilant day [they] will stay home again.” The companies who hired women to replace the men who went off to war appreciated what the women did, but as soon as the men come back, their appreciation

The Second World War changed the United States for women, and women in turn transformed their nation. Over three hundred fifty thousand women volunteered for military service, while twenty times as many stepped into civilian jobs, including positions previously closed to them. More than seven million women who had not been wage earners before the war joined eleven million women already in the American work force. Between 1941 and 1945, an untold number moved away from their hometowns to take advantage of wartime opportunities, but many more remained in place, organizing home front initiatives to conserve resources, to build morale, to raise funds, and to fill jobs left by men who entered military service.

In 1943, World War II had already been raging for four years. The majority of the United States male population was drafted to participate in the war effort, leaving their jobs in factories vacant. With many men gone oversees to fight, women had to take on the role of both male and female duties at home. They had to work hard not only to produce assets for the war, but to also provide for their children and households (“Women”). Some women even served in the military themselves. Although women were unable to serve in combat zones, they contributed in many other ways (Lewis). There were roughly 350,000 women who assisted in the military (“Women”). They utilized their skills to contribute to the war. Many women served as nurses, while

It is clear that there is a disputed debate about the role of women in the Second World War. Therefore undeniably this historiography of the impact of the Second World War on women is considered as one of the major changes over time, in relation of methodology, theoretical viewpoints and interpretations of this subject.

The British launched a thousand-plane raid on Cologne in May. In August 1942 they were joined by the American airforce and cascaded bombs on German cities. The Germans drove eastward across North Africa into Egypt. British general Bernard Montgomery delivered an attack at El Alamein, west of Cairo. Here, the enemy was driven back to Tunisia more than a thousand miles away.

While the men were away at war, 16 million people in the US served in the war and women were needed to help by taking jobs in factories

During the war a number of women's auxiliary services were formed. This meant that they were not yet part of the existing Army due to women values, militaries such as the Navy or Airforce units were additional or supplementary to them, having to substitute with minor roles.