The Role of Women During World War II - Article Example

The Role of Women During World War II Women of the 21st century have proven to be exemplary multi-taskers of our era. A breed of sex who can pull double shifts as daughters, wives, mothers, and career women without batting an eyelash. They have turned the art of of the working woman into a skill that men can only stand back and admire. However, the high adulation that women have today as the equal of men did not always exist. The Suffragette era saw women fighting to have equal rights and opportunities with their male counterparts. But just like everything else in this world, time and circumstance forced a change in that point of view. When World War II rolled along, the United States government saw shortage in the workforce that has never been equaled since. The only solution to that problem at the time? Hire women to do the job of men. They were the most viable option. They were, the only option. Although the government and the business sector had qualms about hiring women in the workforce, most specially women who were mothers with little children, the existence of huge government contracts in the industrial field of automotive, aviation, and other sectors developed a shortage of workers due to the high volume of men leaving the workforce in order to join the war time efforts of the country. Coupled with the men leaving for war was the fact that the country was gripped by the Great Depression which forced some men out of jobs. With the lessened financial drawing power of the head of the household, most wives and mothers saw it fit to do their part in helping to support their family. So off to work they went. Women became such a huge and integral part of the workforce that the statistics from that era proves that they held important jobs and more than made up for the lack of men in the workforce. Doing jobs that were once reserved only for the brawn of men prior to the changes that wartime brought about (“Women in World War II”): The entry of married women into the work place caused their percentage of total female employment to grow 28% from 1929 to 1940, particularly women in the 25 to 44 age group increased 13.8%. In total, 50% of the women in the nonagricultural labour force were employed by the clerical and service sectors of the economy, they encompassed the majority of urban working-class women. It did not come as a surprise to many that the women who entered the workforce did so successfully during the time. The great sex divide among men and women of the era had the women forcibly relegated to the background, staying at home to tend to the needs of the family. Proir to the war, any woman who was seen as part of the workforce was frowned upon and shunned by men. However, just like all mindsets, the time was ripe for the change in the mindset of the working man when it came to the working woman. The forced expansion in the labor workforce offered the female sector of society a boost in their campaign for equal rights. The government got a boost from the entry of the female workforce who became the backbone of the American economy during the simultanuous battles against Hitler in Europe and Japan in Asia. World War II afforded the women a chance to sieze an opportunity to work in new jobs, learn new skills, and explore new opportunities (“Partners in Winning the War: American Women in World War II”). Although women were truly a “secret weapon” for the country during the war, the traditionalists in society could not help but worry about what repercussions their serious entry into the workforce would have on the American family dynamic. More specifically, what effect would having a working mother have on the children of the time? Their worry was based on the traditional point of view that saw the women as the beacon of light and guidance in the home without whom its younger members would fall astray. Although there was a small percentage of juvenile delinquency during the time, most of the children of the era knew that there was a battle raging overrseas and their mothers were part of the efforts of the country to win the war. In effect, the children of the era even cooperated with their mothers in order to help win the war. The participation of women during World War II was not limited only to the working private sector. On the contrary, female workers could be seen even the most unexpected places such as serving under the military as office workers. Indeed, long before the modern day woman began to participate on the frontlines, their predecessors had already been doing their part in order to help our current crop of female soldiers enjoy the opportunites that they do today on the battlefront. Women of World War II joined the Army and Navy as WAC and WAVES enlistees. Even the Coastguard had SPARS who helped keep the military running like a well oiled machine. (Halfing, Jay “Women in WWII”). The women who were allowed to join the service had to be between 20 -36 year old and serve only on the mainland or Continental USA during the period of war. Although previously not permitted to work for the military, the rules barring the wives of military officials from helping in military service during the war was relaxed in order to allow them to do their part for their country. These women worked on the military bases as storekeepers, librarians, cooks, bakers, radiomen, drivers, mail-room cclerks, escorts, waitresses, mess cooks, parachute riggers, and other jobs as the military needed them to be filled. Obviously, women who had the ability to fill in such complex roles in the military service were a different breed. They could have served long after the war in the military if the laws of the era did not prevent them from doing so. Women of World War II had the National Service Act (No.2) to thank for their active participation in both the workforce and military service. The law which was passed in December 1941 allowed for the conscription of women in the workforce for the duration of the war. The law stated that (“Women in World War II - An Introduction”) “... only childless widows and single women 20 to 30 years old were called up, but later the age limit was expanded to 19 to 43 (50 for WWI veterans). “ The women of this era should be admired for their resiliency and willingness to do work that they were not previously expected nor taught to do. With 350,000 women serving in the armed forces (“American Women in World War II”) alone and nearly one out of every 4 married women working actively outside the home at the time, it would be safe to say that our country would have ceased to function if the men in the government and private sectors did not decide that it would be in everyones best interest to allow women to join the workforce. For the duration of the war, the American military showcased the women of the nation in the image of Rosie the Riveter, a working class woman who did her part by not only tilling the fields, but doing manual labor that amazed the men who saw the film clips. They were punching rivets into machines, lifting machines, and operating heavy machinery whenever needed (“Rose the Riveter: Women Working During World War II”). However, not all women who participated in the World War II efforts had to be working either in the industrial or military field. Those who were unable to leave home for one reason or another were still able to participate in the cause by doing what they could for their community. These women did their part by doing the following (“Partners in Winning the War: American Women in World War II”) : In the community, women raised money for war bonds, collected blood, rolled bandages, aided in civil defense, tended Victory Gardens, and hosted troops.  In the home, women recycled scarce materials, dealt with the strains of rationing, raised their children, and mourned the war dead. However, do not be deluded into thinking that the women working during World War II had it easy for themselves in the workforce. On the contrary, the green eyed monster of jealousy was always standign behind them as the men who did not go off to war because they were 4F (incapable to serve in the miltary for health reasons) or something were still part of the regular workforce. These were the men who were strongly agains tthe women joining them in the workplace. The male dominating attitude existed in the workplace and caused harship for the women who just wanted to earn a living or do their part in the war efforts. It is believed that (“Partners in Winning the War: American Women in World War II”) : When women started working at traditionally male jobs the biggest problem was changing mens attitudes. Male employees and male-controlled unions were suspicious of women. Companies saw women’s needs and desires on the job as secondary to men’s, so they were not taken seriously or given much attention. In addition, employers denied women positions of power excluding them from the decision-making process of the company. Women wanted to be treated like the male workers and not given special consideration just because they were women. Women then, just like the women of today, had to earn their right to respect from their male counterparts while still keeping their femininity intact doing jobs that required them to become disheveled and dirty by the days end. they had to somehow strike a balance between the demands of their job and the expectations of society. It was a tall order that these trailblazers did not seem to have a problem doing. After the war, a grateful nation and thankful private sector had to ease the women out of th eworkforce, not because the women were not effective in performing their tasks, but because the men who were coming home from the war needed to have work to come back to. Thus women suddenly found themselves under pressure to return to their old way of life as beacons of their household. Most women of the post World War II era would have loved to have stayed on at their jobs but the National Service Act was clear about one thing, they were to leave the workforce after the war. The women who did leave the jobs did so with great pride and joy in their active wartime workforce participation. Leaving with the thought that they learned new skills, challenged themselves in ways they could never imagine, and helped deliver the needs of their nation when it was needed the most. Sources “American Women in World War II”. history.com. History. n.d. Web. 29 Nov. 2012. Hafling, Jay. “WAVES - WWII Women in the Navy”. A Womans Job. Women in WWII. 28 Aug. 2009. Web. 28 Nov. 2012. “Partners in Winning the War: American Women in World War II”. Women in the Military. National Womens History Museum. 2009. Web. 25 Nov. 2012. “Rosie the Riveter: Women Working During World War II”. nps. gov. nps.gov. n.d. Web. 26 Nov. 2012. “Women in World War II- Introduction”. Focus... On Women in Uniform. The National Archives. n.d. Web. 29 Nov. 2012. “Women in World War II”. netfiles. netfiles.uiuc.edu. n.d. Web. 27 Nov. 2012. Read More