Fairholme History: The Transformation of Women's Role During WWII

This essay examines the role of women during World War II and how the public's perception of women changed after the war. It discusses how men, women, and the government viewed women during and after the war, highlighting the challenges and opportunities women faced. The essay references Rosie the Riveter and the impact of women joining the workforce, along with government initiatives to support women's employment. It concludes that World War II brought significant changes in women's lives, influencing their self-perception, societal views, and governmental support. Desklib provides access to similar essays and study resources for students.

Essay
(The role of Women)

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................3
How did the public’s perception of women change after the war?........................................3
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................5
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................6

INTRODUCTION
During the world war II, women played an important role as they also gave their time and
energy towards the efforts of war. The American women were asked to join for producing the
“vital machinery of war” by working within the factories for developing plans, they also play the
role of nurses, housewives and so on (Liu, (2020)). Moreover, women work within the industries
was considered as the tremendous sales proposition as despite from that, the women also
occupied for bringing short and long term changes in the lives of other people with the help of
war campaign of Rosie the Riverter. Hence, it has been identified that the women played an
important during world war II and the following report cover the public perception of women
change after the WW2.
MAIN BODY
How did the public’s perception of women change after the war?
World war II brought major changes in the lives of men and women both in several ways.
During the war time, it needs increased labour that demands for both male and female workers,
intensified pressures for the Americans to conform for the cultural and social norms (Bakken &
Buhaug, (2021)). All of these changes led Americans to think again over their ideas regarding
the gender and also know about how men and women need to behave regarding qualities.
How men saw women
War and post war periods tends to have the strong impact over the life of individuals but
women are the most invisible since the historical time. The post war period is crucial in terms of
shaping the future developments. They are generally time of hope for the brighter future as they
carry several opportunities for the massive transformation. They also brought things about the
profound social, political and economic stabilities. The WW2 brought little changes in the lives

of women regarding their empowerments but only in few areas as most of the people tends to
resist the changes (Teso, (2019)). Due to the narrow perspective, women faced challenges in the
overcoming cultural stereotypes against the women who work and they also find proper
childcare during the working hours. Minority of women also tolerated discrimination and
dislocation during and after the years of war.
How women saw themselves
During the 1950s, as it was in the several ways of the period considering the traditional
gender roles as it was the change in decade when the discontent with the status quo was
emerging. Here, the famous culture and the mass media reinforced messages regarding the
traditional gender roles, consumer culture and the cold war about the domesticity. Further, Rosie
the Riverter move for the development of campaign regarding the development and
empowerment of women and their overall knowledge and understanding (Larkham, (2018)). She
was the one who influences other women in terms of moving them towards their valuable skills
and overall development. Here, women become more self-sufficient as they start doing many
things by their own and post war most of the women tends to join civilian workforce that comes
under both the white and blue collar jobs like taxi drivers, steel workers, agriculture workers,
office workers, lumber, construction and many more.
How the government saw women?
The government tends to create the international peacekeeping organisation in which they
specify the ratio of women and men in the forum in terms of resolving the conflicts among the
nations. There are several gains during the world war 2 as it proved passing as women were
demobilised from the working of men in order to make way for the returning servicemen.
However, the post war reconstruction effort tends to make the requirement for the expansion of

labour force on the urgent basis and government take initiatives to bring women in the force to
make them educated and empowered (Grosjean & Khattar, (2019)). Further, government also
take initiatives to motivate the migration of workers in terms of filling the shortage of labour.
Along with this, the welfare state tends to create several job opportunities regarding the working
of women by bringing the availability of jobs in several fields like nurses’ midwives, cleaners,
banking, textiles, clerical staff and many more.
Besides from this, the proportion of women in the labour force was also specified by the
government as the percentage of women of working age is 15 to 64 from 45% in 1955 to 51% in
1965 that represent the enhancement of women employment rate undertaking their wages that
are not considered to their families and income level as it was thought that the wages of women
were extra like the holidays or new consumer durables. Also, they initiate the welfare payments
for the families which were based on the assumption in which the income of man is supported by
his wife and children who were his dependants (Eagly & Sczesny, (2020)). Here, the benefit
rates for the married women were standardised by the government that were set at the lower level
irrespective of married man. They also lead to support the women workers by supporting the
union of their workers. Further, government also supported women and provide them uniform
for their offices and clerical jobs in the armed forces. Here, most of women surveyed reported
wanted to keep their jobs many of them forced out by men returning home and by the downturn
regarding their demand for the war materials.
CONCLUSION
From the above discussion, it has been analysed that the second world war tends to bring
major turn in the lives of women in regard of how they saw themselves, how men saw and the
support of government. Here, the suitable instructions and support was provided to the women in

regard of their rights and their overall image. Further, the American women also find that their
individual and collective experience from the 1941 to 1945 which was prevented them from the
stepping back into the pre-war social and economic structure.

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Teso, E. (2019). The long-term effect of demographic shocks on the evolution of gender roles:
Evidence from the transatlantic slave trade. Journal of the European Economic
Association, 17(2), 497-534.
Larkham, P. J. (2018). Planning in Britain during and immediately after the Second World War:
planners, processes and plans. Storia Urbana.
Grosjean, P., & Khattar, R. (2019). It’s raining men! Hallelujah? The long-run consequences of
male-biased sex ratios. The Review of Economic Studies, 86(2), 723-754.
Eagly, A. H & Sczesny, S. (2020). Gender stereotypes have changed: A cross-temporal meta-
analysis of US public opinion polls from 1946 to 2018. American psychologist, 75(3),
301.
Liu, C. (2020). The Effects of World War I on the Chinese Textile Industry: Was the World’s
Trouble China’s Opportunity?. The Journal of Economic History, 80(1), 246-285.
Bakken, I. V., & Buhaug, H. (2021). Civil war and female empowerment. Journal of conflict
resolution, 65(5), 982-1009.
Online
WHAT IS THE ROLE OF WOMEN IN POST-WAR TIMES? 2020. [Online] Available through:
<https://erc.europa.eu/projects-figures/stories/what-role-women-post-war-times>./
How World War II Empowered Women. 2021. [Online] Available through:
<https://www.history.com/news/how-world-war-ii-empowered-women>./