Women's Role In Ww2 Essay

“During the war about half of American women worked outside of their homes,”( Hughes 2). The number of working women rose from fourteen point six million in nineteen forty one to nineteen point four million in nineteen forty four. “Women were not just motivated by wages or patriotism; but buy the feeling of independence that they gained from the work,” (Hughes 2). Without women laborers the US economy would have never been able to produce military hardware to be successful in the war. Even though women played a huge role in the work force during the World War II, they also played an even bigger role in the war itself. Women played several different roles in the actual war. “A few of women’s roles in the actual war of World War II would be army nurses, spies, pilots and entertainers,” (Scott3). Women served as army nurses during World War 11, there were than seven thousand active nurses on duty when the United States entered the war. “Women also served as pilots, on September tenth nineteen forty two, Nancy Harkness Love, with the support of th U.S. Air Transport Command, organized twenty five women pilots into the Women’s Auxiliary Ferrying Squadron (W.A.F.S),” (Scott3). Women pilots were used to serve non- combat flights, to free the men for combat flights. “Women spies of the World WarII , they were often successful and unsuspected since people suspected women that women’s properly roles were solely domestic,” (Scott3). Lastly

Many people question if women went into the war because of patriotism or because they lacked other opportunities. Women responded to the call differently depending on age, race, class, marital status, and number of children. They switch from lower-paying female jobs to higher-paying factory jobs. While patriotism influenced women,

During the Second World War, both married and unmarried women worked in wartime industries and factories to take the place of men who joined the service. Although women didn’t play a significant role on the battlefields in Europe compared to males, it would be logical to conclude that women played an integral role in the participation and victory in WWII both at home and abroad. Yet when one considers their contribution, it is hard to imagine how much more they could have done given the conservative views of gender role at that time. In the context of traditional gender roles and boundaries, women conceivably maximized their wartime efforts by working in a variety of jobs including industry, volunteering, and serving as support staff for

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

Ellen Carol DuBois, Professor of History and Women’s Studies at the University of California at Los Angeles, in chapter nine of her book “Through Women 's Eyes: An American History with Documents” (2012), described when women were put to the battlefield and they were use to help to fight against opposing enemies from other countries. In the late 1930s, as the militarism of Germany, Italy, and Japan rose to a crescendo, most Americans adamantly opposed being drawn into war. This remained true even after Germany, under Adolf HItler, invaded Poland in 1939 and France and Britain, the United States’ allies in World War 1, declared war on the Axis powers, Germany and Italy. They became an asset to the America when the men were starting to decrease in the numbers of in need soldiers. However in this precis, not only how she described how the women was use to battlefield but, she also described how the United States started joining the war, what jobs are assigned to the women, and what occurred throughout the women’s military days.

World War II was the catalyst that changed the opportunities available to women and eventually the way they were regarded as a viable workforce. Suddenly women throughout the United States were pushing themselves to their limits to support the war effort. Women were fulfilling jobs and responsibilities that many previously believed to be impossible for their gender. Opportunities were opened in steel plants, ammunition factories, and even the United States military. As the war progressed the number of male workers declined dramatically. Society had no choice but to turn to the mothers, sisters, and daughters of our nation for help. The results for each woman varied

In a 1944 magazine article, Eleanor Roosevelt claimed that American “women are serving actively in many ways in this war [World War II], and they are doing a grand job on both the fighting front and the home front.”1 While many women did indeed join the workforce in the 1940s, the extent and effects of their involvement were as contested during that time as they are today. Eleanor Roosevelt was correct, however, in her evaluation of the women who served on the fighting front. Although small in number due to inadequate recruitment, the women who left behind their homes and loved ones in order to enlist in the newly established Women’s Auxiliary Army Corp (WAAC), and later the Women’s Army Corps (WAC), were deemed invaluable to the war

     “May 22, 1942, will surely go down on the record,” predicted the Christian Science Monitor. “It was the day that women joined up with the army...” It was obvious; the U.S. needed a larger military force. Thus women joined the army within organizations. From there came Oveta Culp Hobby, the director for the first American military organization of women. This organization was called the WAAC (Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps). Many people were impressed by the strength of the WAAC and it is said that within three months, the AAF was discussing the possibilities of obtaining more members of the WAAC (Weatherford, p.34).

It was not enough. Patriotism was the province of one gender any more than military service to the country. In a very real way, World War II was a battle for American women to achieve direct participation in the conflict.” (91)

Historian John Keegan once wrote “warfare… is the one human activity from which women, with the most insignificant exceptions, have always and everywhere stood apart.” This is gross understatement of the contributions of women to the war effort. While women only recently have been inactive military duty on the battle field, they 've acted as factory workers, nurses, recruitment as well as many aspect as they filled in the gap that men left at war. They that kept the war going. Without the support of the women, the men on the front would not have been about to continue fighting.

Before the war, and even during, there was a tremendous concern for women’s suffrage (Osborne 113). Because of this, some women decided to go and help the war efforts to show the men that they deserved more rights. Over one million women took part in the war efforts; most of them being unmarried women who had moved up to better jobs until the men came home (118). The war had a powerful effect on women and their position, most of whom were very eager to do their part. If they could afford to work without pay, then they often volunteered to fill medical positions. This type of work excited many women (Atwood 4). One of the biggest differences was that they no longer were working just female occupations, but now they were driving street cars and trucks, assembling airplanes, operating cranes, fixing railroad tracks, and wielding machinery (Osborne 119). They were considered to be useful in supporting and helping their countries was efforts, which was cogitated to be “outside the realm of normality for them” (Atwood

Before Word War II, women were seen as housewives, maids and mothers; nothing more. While they did work out of home in some instances, the men looked down upon them as they thought a man would be better suited to their job. Unfortunately until 1966 there was a marriage bar that prevented married women from working, even being refused training while single because is was assumed they would marryi. During World War II, they had no choice but to step into the previously male occupied roles as the men were called to arms, but did this really change how society thought of them?

After the last global conflict that happened the Second World War was the most horrible and intolerable conflict because that is the time when around 30 countries were involved and more than 60 million military and civilian people were dead. After really serious events that happened in December 7th, on December 8 President Roosevelt told Congress to declare the war against Japan. They accepted that request because of only one vote that was more than the others. After those three days later Italy and Germany talked with Japan and they wanted to declare the war on the United Stated. The only thing is that America was also involved into that global war. During the Second World War around 300,000 women were into it and they helped guys with taking

More than 20,000 women served in the armed forces during World War I. Unfortunately, women were not given rank or privileges although they wore the same military uniform. This proved they were still not considered equal as men. However, their service in the military and how the women took care of the home and worked while their husbands were at war was noteworthy towards women’s cause for equality.

Women during WWII were confused about their roles in the war. There were two common attitudes women in the 1940’s had towards the war. On one hand women felt inspired to rise to the challenge and fill the void left by men. On the other hand, some women felt, “cheated,” and unable to carry on due to the absence of men. Even though most women agree that gender equality and equal opportunity is positive, women who lived through WWII would most likely argue that it is not always worth the sacrifice.