Women`s role during WWII

The Role of Women during WWII

When the United States entered the Second World War , millions of American men were drafted to fight both sides of the battle from the South Pacific against the Japanese to Europe against the Germans . There was a great shortage of workers in the country to run factories , farms railroads , hospitals , foundries , steel mills and other businesses . So the government turned to womanpower to fuel the nation 's economy especially in the production of war materials needed by the US soldiers and the allies to win the

war . The federal government along with the media launched a massive campaign to attract women to work outside their homes . The response was overwhelming as millions of women joined the workforce wherein more than half were married and never held jobs before . They came from different backgrounds majority of whom came from the middle class , a few were rich and some were poor . They answered the call out of patriotism in support for the war . The labor market for women increased rapidly from 12 million in 1940 to 18 million in 1945 They took men 's jobs in the civil and defense industry perceived at that time as unthinkable because of their traditional role as wife , mother and homemaker

With more than 16 million men serving in the military , the need for new war workers was unprecedented . Responding to this need , some 6 .5 million women entered the workforce , increasing the female labor force by more than 50 percent . The women expressed pride in their war work and often commented , with enthusiasm , about the new sense of responsibility and independence they were achieving (Litoff Smith 9 . The role of women during this period was very essential to victory as their efforts and sacrifices were valuable . The war was a defining moment in their lives as they realized their potentials and capabilities . Despite the opportunities to be self-supporting and earn , the situation was burdensome for women as they tried to balance duty to country and family . They would work 8 to 10 hours a day , six days a week and still be able to wash clothes , raise children , do groceries , and perform other household chores . The women were exposed to dangerous jobs as the working conditions then were not suited for them . More than 210 ,000 were injured in accidents and at least 37 ,000 died . At first , many industries did not welcome women as workers and were reluctant to hire them because they were seen as too weak to do a man 's job . Eventually , this notion was proven wrong as women excelled in their work and more often surpassed the men in performance . They shattered cultural barriers as to how women were perceived and what they could do . Overall , the women hastened the end of war that ensured victory by producing dependable weapons and munitions . They played crucial roles on the home front by fighting the war in their own unique ways working and sacrificing unceasingly for...