Women's Contributions during WWII and How did WWII affect their employment

American Women during World War II
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Women have for centuries been treated as second class citizens and inferior to their male counterparts. They are deemed physically-unfit to effectively accomplish the demanding tasks in society and as such, they are often subjected to simple roles. Particularly, persons of the female gender are primarily involved in household affairs while the men serve as breadwinners and safeguard their families and communities in general. From the above facts, women globally have continuously been victims of rampant discrimination and victimization. They have been denied opportunities to progress and forced to depend on men for their sustenance. Nonetheless, there are American women who have stood up to the plate and pulled their weight in equal measure to men in society. These American women have participated actively in different global events including World War II. While it is men who were mostly on the frontline during World War II, women were also greatly involved not at home but also in uniform. They gave their time, energy and lives in helping America protect its borders after Japan attacked Pearl Harbor. Through their active involvement during World War II, American women became greatly empowered. They learned valuable skills from their civilian jobs and became more self-reliant. Women started fighting for the right to work in nonconventional roles and for general quality in society. Women were actively involved in World War II and the move empowered them to push for gender equality particularly in terms of employment.
Contributions of American Women during World War II
Women globally have conventionally and since time immemorial been expected to play second fiddle to their male counterparts. Persons of the female gender are said to be weak physically and emotionally to accomplish demanding tasks and responsibilities. As such, it is men who are often called upon not only to bread win for their families but also to protect and safeguard their communities from enemies. These facts aside and contrary to popular belief, it is vital to note that American women contributed and participated actively during World War II. America was initially reluctant to participate in the War when it started in 1939 but was forced to dive in after Japan’s merciless attack on Pearl Harbor (Tate, 1943). The American government swiftly directed all the country’s assets into the war and which among others included women. American women stepped into the civilian and military jobs that were left by the millions of men who were enrolled for the war. The American government conducted a massive campaign to persuade and encourage women to take up the vacant employment opportunities. The government created posters of women in the workplace in the persuasion efforts. Most notable is the image of Naomi Parker otherwise known as Rosie the Riveter, a confident-looking woman in heels working at Alameda Naval Air Station (Honey, 1980). The move helped to get more women to contribute to the war on the home front. It is estimated that during the course of the war the percentage of women in the US workforce increased by 10% to 37% (Honey, 1980). They helped to keep the US economy up float and to finance the war which is usually very costly.
American Women played vital roles during World War II not only at home but also in uniform. It is estimated that more than 350000 women participated in the war. According to Hartmann & Anderson (1981), “women volunteered for the newly formed Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps (WAACs, later renamed the Women’s Army Corps), the Navy Women’s Reserve (WAVES), the Marine Corps Women’s Reserve, the Coast Guard Women’s Reserve (SPARS), the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASPS), the Army Nurses Corps, and the Navy Nurse Corps” (p.728). While American men went to fight the war abroad, American women became very active on the Home Front. They offered their services in defense plants and volunteered in the above war-related organizations. The efforts of American women in the war exposed America to ridicule from Axis powers and core members such as Hitler who confined German women to the conventional gender roles of child bearing and looking after the household.
American women in uniform also helped the men abroad during the war. They took up the office and clerical jobs in the army to free the men who served in those capacities to join the rest in the battlefield. The American women in uniform were not only confined to office jobs and assignments. They drove trucks, worked as mechanics and repaired vehicles, tankers and airplanes. They also worked as laboratory technicians and helped in the analysis of photographs and evidence (Greenwald et al., 1982). They rigged enemy parachutes and passed information from soldiers heavily involved in the battlefield to those in the army barracks. Some women became translators and would assist in reading classified enemy communications. There are also women who flew military aircrafts and others served in the Army Nurse Corps on the front lines with the Allies. Women’s Airforce Service Pilots (WASPs) flew planes from factories to bases. WASPs also transported cargo and participated in simulations. It is reported that about 20 women in the Army Nurse Corps were killed from enemy fire while about 100 were captured as prisoners of war (POWs) in the Philippines (Frankland, 1960). There are also about 40 WASPs who lost their lives during the war. They were honored in 2010 when they were recognized with Congressional Gold medals.
General Eisenhower who eventually came to serve as the 34th president of the US famously acknowledged the contributions of the women in uniform. He believed that America would not have won the war without women serving on various fronts from the farms to the factories (Frankland, 1960). American women during World War II also wrote letters to the men who were fighting aggressively for the country. The initiatives helped to motivate the soldiers and keep them upbeat of their impending victory. It is also during World War II that a women’s service branch was introduced into the armed forces. The move was spearheaded by First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt who had been utterly impressed by the participation of British women in their army (Courtney, 2010). As such, the Women’s Auxiliary Army Corps was establi...