Work Force Just as they had before in WW1, during WW2 woman were put into the work force. However many Trade Unions questions woman's abilities to do jobs that were considered "men's" work yet again but this was quickly put aside for the need for wartime economy. Woman were encouraged to participate in wartime efforts by joining jobs in civil denseness or war industries. Woman took on jobs that included, factory work to help build munition, ships, and planes, some of which could be extremely dangerous. Woman also drove fire-engines, trains, trams and other emergency vehicles, but many woman became nurses to rehabilitate our wounded warriors. Woman world wide were rushing to there part to support the war effort in any way that they could. Woman became a secret weapon of sorts for the U.S and its allies producing millions of supplies for the war. It was proven that during WW2 woman's employment had increased from 5.1 Million during the first World War which would be around 26% to 7.25 Million making a percent of 36%, overall that is a 10% increase from the first World War. Equal Pay Although women had temporarily replaced men in the work place, and were doing the same jobs that men had, with the same level of hazardous, woman were still rarely able to earn the equivalent to the amount of money the men they had replaced had. Some companies provided a limited time agreement to allow equal pay for woman if they could prove that they could preform a "high skilled" task without the need of supervision. While those jobs that were deemed, "Semi-skilled" or less were excluded from this agreement because these were " woman's jobs". Many woman went on strike to prove that they deserved to have the same pay, especially being "highly skilled" and getting paid less than a man you was considered "unskilled" However in Oct of 1943, with the backing of many men woman were finally able to reach an agreement with companies on a graded scale that allowed them to earn the same as a man would depending on their skill, job, and machinery that they worked with. Health Benefits Another upset for woman during WW2 was that they were unable to receive the same kind of health benefits that men. Woman were concerned that they weren't getting the health care they deserved now that they were working. Woman were getting less than half the money men were for health. Woman were working the same dangerous jobs, with the same threats of bombings, and dealth, yet were provided with less compensation for their injuries. Military Status Something that was different about WW2 compared to WW1 however is that woman were finally able to serve a part in the military legally. Nearly 350,000 woman worked in and out of uniforms. The reason woman were allowed to join the military was due to a shortage in labor, which lead to the formation of the Woman's auxiliary Corps (WAC's). The formation of WAC's allowed for Woman ages of 20-30 to join branches of the military that included Army, Navy and Air force. Eisenhower felt that he could not win WW2 with out the aid of woman by their sides. By the end of the war many woman wanted to keep the jobs that they had worked so hard to get but many of them were forced out of the work place by men returning home and simply because factories weren't in such demand to make high quantities of products.
Interview with Major General Jeanne M. Holm
Above is a video interview with Major General Jeanne Holm, she was among the first woman to enlist into the military. During World War 2 she was assigned to the Woman's Army Corps Training Center, where she commanded a basic training. Here is her story. Highlights: Pre-Service days preparing her for the military (5:42 to 9:15) Equal Pay for equal work for military (49:18 to 51:57) Forecasting the roles of women in the military (10:37 to 15:33) We felt like pioneers (10:41 to 11:10) Pushing for more opportunities for women (54:8 to 1:3:13)
This is a poster from the Ministry of Health issued in 1943 showing the work that was done with evacuees(people evacuating from a place due to danger to someplace safer) Many woman took on the task of caring for Evacuees as their war time effort. This was a very important job because many of these people had no place to go.
This image is a propaganda poster used to encourage woman to join the work force. This poster had the same effect as the Rosie the riveter poster but less iconic. Its basically explains that while men are away working woman need to be in the factories helping to build.
"I think a lot of women said, Screw that noise. 'Cause they had a taste of freedom, they had a taste of making their own money, a taste of spending their own money, making their own decisions. I think the beginning of the women's movement had its seeds right there in World War Two." -Dellie Hahne ( a nurse who worked for the red cross during WW2) Woman had a taste for the work force during WW1 but in WW2 they got an even bigger taste and once they had it, they didn't want to let go. Like the quote says they had a taste of freedom, and they ran with it, they loved the feeling of it and they weren't going to let go if willingly.
Rosie: An Article placed in Pics Magazine that came out February, 16th, 1943. This article demonstrates the role the woman played in the Bomb Factory.
Rosie the riveter became an american Icon during WW2 and encouraged woman world wide to join the work force, because "We can do it!" She was what young and old woman alike needed. Rosie assured that the Allied would have the supplies that they needed to beat the axis powers.
The Woman's Land Army, We Will Never Forget By: Grace Wallace
(When Grace turned 16 she signed herself up for the Woman's Land Army and wrote a story of her experiences working as such. Below is excerpt from that story, what is was like to be a woman working for the Land Army and how looked down on Woman really were.)
"It took a long time for the farmers to realise we were quite capable of doing a man's job when we had to. We were the subject of many jokes. There was little point in complaining, as the officials could not visit everywhere to see what was going on. It was no joke, working at the top of a threshing machine. The smoke from the engine would blow in your face, making it look like you had just come down a chimney. It made your eyes very sore. In the winter, when it was freezing and snowing, the only part of you that would get warm was your feet, if you were working on top of the machine, when the straw collected round your legs. The only drawback to this was the mice that you could feel running up and down your legs. Other times, we had to carry large sacks of chaff and empty them, maybe having to climb a ladder to a loft. There really weren't any easy jobs. There were times when even the prisoners of war were treated better than us, both the Germans and the Italians. I could not understand why some of the women's services looked down on us. We were doing as much, and sometimes more, for the war effort than they were. When we had a bath after working on the thresher all day, you could not stay in for long as the top of the water was a floating mass of hay-lice, so we always had to finish off with a shower. Of course, not all the girls were so lucky - if they lived on a farm they had to be satisfied with a wash down in the farm kitchen. There was no privacy from the prying eyes of some lusty old farmer who thought you were there to satisfy their needs and give them what they were not getting from their wives. I could go on for much longer, telling of all the things we had to put up with. I must also add that we had some very happy times and made many friends. I hope this has explained why so many of us think we were not treated fairly. When I was demobbed in 1945 I had to return all my uniform, even socks which had been darned. In return for my services, I was allowed to keep my overcoat, and was given ten clothing coupons. I know it is not always possible to mention everyone who helped in the war. I was told that, if you were conscripted or volunteered to wear a uniform and the King's crown on your badge, you belonged to one of the services. We had discipline, rules and punishment, just the same as the ATS, WAAF and WRENS. We had to go where we were told. For many years on Remembrance Sunday, we have not been asked to be represented. The question is, why not? Do we not deserve to be recognised with pride and honour? Why were we forgotten so easily after we were no longer needed? We were proud then to wear our uniform and serve our country. Those of us who are left are still proud to have belonged to the Women's Land Army, and we will never forget."
Work Cited:
“Striking Women.” World War II: 1939-1945 | Striking Women, www.striking-women.org/module/women-and-work/world-war-ii-1939-1945. Accessed 4 Feb. 2018.
Jeanne M. Holm Collection: Veterans History Project (Library of Congress, memory.loc.gov/diglib/vhp-stories/loc.natlib.afc2001001.04293/. Accessed 4 Feb. 2018.
“Home.” U.S. Air Force, www.af.mil/About-Us/Biographies/Display/Article/106699/major-general-jeanne-m-holm/.
Day, Day. “Experiences of War : Women and War : Women's Auxiliary Services and Land Army.” Welcome to SA Memory, SLSA, www.samemory.sa.gov.au/site/page.cfm?u=994. Accessed 4 Feb. 2018.
Articles, Old Magazine. “Rosie.” WW2 BOMBER FACTORY INFORMATION,ROSIE THE RIVETER INFORMATION,NEWSPAPER ARTICLES ABOUT FACTORIES IN WWII,STEPHEN LONGSTREET ARTICLE FROM PIC MAGAZINE FEBRUARY1943,WOMEN WAR WORKERS OF WW2,WOMEN DEFENSE WORKERS OF WWII,WOMEN IN WWII FACTORIES, - Magazine Article - Old Magazine Articles, www.oldmagazinearticles.com/article-summary/rosie_the_riveter#.WneUHWinG00. Accessed 4 Feb. 2018
“WW2 People's War - The Women's Land Army: We Will Never Forget.” BBC, BBC, www.bbc.co.uk/history/ww2peopleswar/stories/91/a3287991.shtml. Accessed 4 Feb. 2018
“Quotes.” American Women During WWII, americanwomenworldwar2.weebly.com/quotes.html. Accessed 4 Feb. 2018.
“History At a Glance: Women in World War II.” The National WWII Museum | New Orleans, www.nationalww2museum.org/students-teachers/student-resources/research-starters/women-wwii. Accessed 4 Feb. 2018.