Women at work during WW II by Marilu Armstrong

Rosie the Riveter

mruizarmstrong — 2024-06-26 04:39:37 UTC

INTRODUCTION

Women had a pivotal role in the workforce during WW2, they were a vital part of the war effort at home and abroad. Approximately six million women joined the workforce and they helped keep the country running. During WW2 it was considered that women joining the workforce was a patriotic act, and also provided an economic opportunity for them. They worked in occupations that men dominated before the war. Approximately fifteen million men were serving in the armed forces, creating a dire need for workers to fill vital roles in every sector, some of them served in non-combat roles in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, and National Guard. Others volunteered for the Red Cross, but most worked in different industries. Many had factory jobs and some worked clerical jobs or service industries. The results were that women were more than capable of meeting factory work demands, aggressive deadlines, and handling repetitive work. It took some effort to convince women to join the workforce, they used images such as the one of Rosie the Riveter to help convince women to join the war effort emphasizing the importance of war work for the country, but also the economic opportunity. Rosie was a strong and confident woman, wearing overalls and a red bandana, she symbolized the empowerment of women during WW2.

Blue-collar workers

mruizarmstrong — 2024-06-26 05:17:00 UTC

Some women interrupted their studies to enter blue-collar and clerical jobs and obtain work experience. Some studies suggest that the WW2 job mobilization led to a permanent increase in blue-collar jobs and permanently decreased opportunities for white-collar employment for women in 1940. A study suggests that "both high wartime wages and work experience contributed to the persistent increase in female blue-collar employment". (Bellou, 2015). Bellou's study also concluded that WW2 job mobilization also influenced the younger generation of women, to seek more clerical jobs. The study included women between 15 to 34 years old in 1940 and 35 to 54 years old in the 1960s.

Unfairness, opportunities, and the end of WW2

mruizarmstrong — 2024-06-26 05:23:57 UTC

By 1944, women held a 1/3 of the factory jobs in the United States. However, black women were blocked from joining the effort by racially discriminatory practices. Mary McLeod Bethune brought the issues to the attention of President Roosevelt. In 1941, President Roosevelt signed an order banning racial discrimination in the defense industry. After the order was signed over one million black women joined the defense industry. Women with children who worked for the defense industry were assisted with subsidized child care to be able to work. After the war ended many women were laid off and the incentives to work stopped, reducing the ability for women to work. After the war was over women's participation in the workforce dropped.

Female labor in the USSR

mruizarmstrong — 2024-06-26 06:15:26 UTC

The leaders of the USSR realized the threat of losing their territory between 1941 and 1944. Stalin created a plan to defend their territories, prioritizing the military rails, agriculture, the navy, and the army. After calling their men to arms and joining the Red Army, in the second half of 1941 women were called to work in factories and also, some women had to do the agricultural work that men used to do. The USSR had to rely heavily on women to take over the workforce during WW2. In 1940, 38% of women represented the workforce of the USSR's industries, by 1945 women were 56% of the workforce and 71% in the agriculture industry. "During the war, women become leaders in the economy, accounting for 2/3 of all workers and 3/4 of agricultural workers" (Shal, et al. 2023). The study showed that women demonstrated they could perform very well in any industry, and remained caring mothers, loving wives, and devoted to their Motherland.

Women recognitions

mruizarmstrong — 2024-06-26 06:39:13 UTC

Women were recruited to join the Army in different countries, but their contributions to support their countries' economies played a pivotal role during WW2. Their roles were recognized as part of winning the war, and their willingness to accept the changes and change their lives to join the workforce to maintain the economy moving for their particular countries was honorable. In Ohio, Ms. Jo Daley Trotter was recognized by receiving an award, and Ms. Trotter was included in the Ohio Veterans Hall of Fame in 2005, for her participation in WW2 as a Volunteer in the Emergency Services. In March 202, Duckworth introduced a bipartisan bill to establish a new memorial in Washington D.C. that recognizes the contributions of 18 million women who helped the economy and society of our nation run in WW2.

CONCLUSION:

WW2 marked an important period for the world and the change in the views regarding the participation of women in the workforce. Women were vital to the war, and the economy. Their leadership redefined the role of women in the workforce and their participation played a vital role in the restoration of the world's economy and winning the war. The work of women during WW2 laid the foundation for equal treatment of women not only in the workforce but in society at large.

Sources

mruizarmstrong — 2024-06-26 06:44:21 UTC

Bellou, A., & Cardia, E. (2016). Occupations after WWII: The legacy of Rosie the Riveter. Explorations in Economic History, 62, 124–142. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eeh.2016.03.004

Shal, V., Svitovenko, D., Melnyk, V., Melnyk, P., & Polozhyshnyk, V. (2023). Women’s Labor During World War II. Employee Responsibilities and Rights Journal, 35(3), 289–303. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10672-023-09458-1

United States : Duckworth Introduces Bipartisan Bill to Establish Memorial Commemorating Efforts of Women on the Home Front During WWII. (2020). In MENA Report. Disco Digital Media, Inc.

Carney, J. (2006). Woman honored for WWII service: She was in WAVES as a radio operator in California and Washington. In McClatchy - Tribune Business News (pp. 1-). Tribune Content Agency LLC.