These women were usually in the lower class or the minority and many men did not have the best attitude toward them. American women played important roles during World War II, both at home and in uniform. Not only did they give their sons, husbands, fathers, and brothers to the war effort, they gave their time, energy, and some even gave their lives. Numbers of women working outside the home rose exponentially and they thought they were there to stay. The gap in the labor force created by departing soldiers meant opportunities for women. “Between 1940 and 1945, the female percentage of the U.S. workforce increased from 27 percent to nearly 37 percent, and by 1945 nearly one out of every four married women worked outside the home” (AMERICAN WOMEN IN WORLD WAR II). World War II changed both the type of work women did and the volume at which they did it. Five million women entered the workforce. The United State did not have enough male soldiers to defend an entire country. During their efforts recruiting Women into the work force, they started using Rosie the Riveter as a character to show how women were strong and how they could work in factories. “Rosie was the modern factory girl – a woman who could effortlessly bridge the gap between masculine and feminine” (Hawkes). Although women were encourage to work, not all of them wanted to work even with the county’s propaganda. Women were adapted to staying home and the industry field was totally different than their work at home. World War II led many women to take jobs in defense plants and factories around the country. These jobs provided unprecedented opportunities to move into occupations previously thought of as exclusive to men, especially the aircraft industry, where a majority of workers were women by 1943. While women worked in a variety of positions previously closed to them, the aviation industry saw the greatest
These women were usually in the lower class or the minority and many men did not have the best attitude toward them. American women played important roles during World War II, both at home and in uniform. Not only did they give their sons, husbands, fathers, and brothers to the war effort, they gave their time, energy, and some even gave their lives. Numbers of women working outside the home rose exponentially and they thought they were there to stay. The gap in the labor force created by departing soldiers meant opportunities for women. “Between 1940 and 1945, the female percentage of the U.S. workforce increased from 27 percent to nearly 37 percent, and by 1945 nearly one out of every four married women worked outside the home” (AMERICAN WOMEN IN WORLD WAR II). World War II changed both the type of work women did and the volume at which they did it. Five million women entered the workforce. The United State did not have enough male soldiers to defend an entire country. During their efforts recruiting Women into the work force, they started using Rosie the Riveter as a character to show how women were strong and how they could work in factories. “Rosie was the modern factory girl – a woman who could effortlessly bridge the gap between masculine and feminine” (Hawkes). Although women were encourage to work, not all of them wanted to work even with the county’s propaganda. Women were adapted to staying home and the industry field was totally different than their work at home. World War II led many women to take jobs in defense plants and factories around the country. These jobs provided unprecedented opportunities to move into occupations previously thought of as exclusive to men, especially the aircraft industry, where a majority of workers were women by 1943. While women worked in a variety of positions previously closed to them, the aviation industry saw the greatest