The Effect Of Womenin The Workplace During WWII

In December 1941, the Japanese attacked on Pearl Harbor. Within a year, hundreds of thousands of American men from eighteen to thirty-nine years old were fighting in the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard. The men left their wives, children and jobs. With no one working, how would the economy hold up, and how would the production of needed supplies be produced? Wives, mothers, sisters, and girlfriends left their families, education, or other jobs to learn the skills required to continue the work that was deserted by the men, and some more. For women that had a profession, the war offered them a chance to break into careers or management positions that or else would have been off limits for women. For those that did not, jobs in the air, on the sea, as nurses and doctors, and war correspondents were offered.

For the entire time of the war, the U.S. government flattered American women to work in the war, whether it was at home or in the factori

Flying involved risks. The Women’s Air Force Service Pilots (WASP) accepted this. During the war, thirty-eight women pilots died, and this still did not discourage the others, even if it was a friend or family member. These women made momentous contributions to the war effort. More than one thousand flew during the conflict, others delivered cargo, tested new aircraft, and some flew planes with targets off the back so the soldiers on land could practice their shots at moving targets in the sky. These were “major accomplishments for women who were once regarded as too emotional to fly for the military” (Zeinert, 27).

The song and poster was also used to only to persuade women into helping out in the war, but to show them that by joining the war, it would not diminish their femininity.

“Rosie the Riveter”, quickly became the catchy phrase that represented all women workers. It was a song that was made, not based on a real person but it was selected because of its sound in accordance with what was going on in the world. Along with the song came a poster (See We Can Do It!) of an attractive woman in overalls. The song began with these lyrics:

While some women were in the air, the women on the ground took on even more jobs with even more responsibilities. “The women became key personnel in transportation management, supply operations, communications, and military intelligence. In addition, many became parachute riggers, aerial photographers, radio operators, weather forecasters, and control tower operators at airports” (Zeinert, 43).

While other girls attend a favorite cocktail bar,

As easy or as difficult as some of these jobs may sound, they all came with the same setbacks. Women faced constant reminders that they were different from the male workers they replaced. Even though they dressed like men, and performed traditional men’s work, they certainly were not treated like men. They earned less for the same work and they drew attention, unwanted attention, otherwise known as harassment, teasing and sexual advances. Despite these, they did not knock down the motivation of women to continue their work during the war.

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