Womens role in World War ll

Anu, SalMaMa, Alex, Khue, Alicia, AzaharWomens role in World War llBefore WWIIWomen in General:Women were primarily working at home and very few women did traditional men jobs. Only a quarter of women had paid jobs.Medium class: This class of women had household jobs.Low class: this class of women had petty jobs-maids etcPoor women: worked in factories(clothing factories etc), worked as prostitutes, seamstresses.Received the leftover jobs that men in general didnt want (Men>Women)Before WWIIWhite Women: Majority of them were housewives Discrimination of minorities

Before WWIIMinorities:There was severe unemployment for African Americans (men especially)African Americans were underpaidAfrican Americans still witnessed discrimination Japanese Americans had little forms of discriminationsIf they were able to get a job, they would get the ones that nobody wanted (the leftovers of the leftovers of the leftovers)In other words, the struggle was realWomen During World War llRosie the RiveterDuring WWllWomen in General:Replaced the men that were serving in the warDramatic increase in female employment, increased by nearly 60% Became one third of paid workers in 1945 compared to the one quarter of women who were working in the 1940 The women were more likely to be married and older than the women who were in the workforce in the past (1 in every 4 married women were working)Jobs were still categorized by gender, Male/Female work Some of the prejudice against working mothers eroded away Most women worked in service-sector jobs, many worked for the government as female clerks, secretaries, and typists. They were called government girlsAround 350,000 women served in the U.S. AirforceRarely did women make over 50% of the wages men got for the same jobsUsually it was only the single women that tried to get jobs because married women/mothers would be homemakers. Start of FeminismRosie the Riveter:- Propaganda campaign developed by the government to encourage women to go into the workforce- 310,000 women worked in the aircraft industry, making up 65% of the workforce (compared to 1% before WWII)- Encouraged Working women to upgrade their pay to get higher wages.- Girls just graduating high school were recruited into the workforce.- One of the most successful women campaigns.- Start of FeminismFirst Lady Eleanor Roosevelt:- Encouraged General George Marshall to introduce Women branch in the military- 350,000 women joined the U.S. Armed Forces- 1944, encouraged by Eleanor Roosevelt, black women were welcomed into the militaryDuring WWIIWhite Women: They were given permission to fly airplanesCultural Division of Labor by Sex-Placed lower to middle classed white women at home-Middle classed white women usually went to college, got married, then became stay at home mothers.Even though women in general had limited job opportunities, white women specifically were given better job opportunities than minority women.These jobs include teaching, nursing, sales, retail, and clerical workWhite women who worked usually worked until marriage.During WWIIMinorities: WWII did not significantly improve employment for domestic working African Americans Jobs were categorized by race, black women were given more menial tasks, and were paid at a lower rate than white women. African American women were likely to find employment in railroads, canneries, and military supply facilities that paid half of other jobs given to white women in shipyardsSome Asian women were allowed to fly planes unlike any Japanese Americans (because of Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbour)Japanese Americans (including the women) were put into internment camps Japanese American Women were widely discriminated against because of the attack on Pearl HarborEventually, in 1944, women in New York broke the color barrier. They became telephone operators.Higher paid jobs usually did not go to minorities, especially to women.Service to the country was widely unrecognized.After WWllWomen in General:Women were more accepted into the workforce due to the massive drain of working men.In America, there was a baby boom. The birth rate dramatically increased.Families had money pressure to reach their wanted income, thus more married women were in the labor force than any other time in American history. The divorce rate skyrocketed as well

After WWIIWhite Women:Many families wanted extra money and that meant they needed a wifes earning to be able to have the lifestyle they wanted.Middle-class women felt that they needed to stay home because they were taught, women stay home and clean while men go out to work.They didnt want to have certain jobs because it was clear that home and work life needed to be separate.

After WWllMinorities: Japanese Americans got 38 million dollars in total to pay for their losses A large debate ensued of if Japanese Americans (Women and Men) would be allowed to go home

BibliographyAmerican History (volume 2) -Alan Brinkleyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese-American_life_before_World_War_IIhttp://www.sfgate.com/news/article/WWII-meant-opportunity-for-many-women-oppression-2501118.phphttp://www.nwhm.org/online-exhibits/industry/16.htmhttp://www.history.com/topics/#ratchet-american-women-in-world-war-iihttp://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/wwiibayarea/womenatwar.htm http://www.nps.gov/pwro/collection/website/rosie.htmhttp://tdl.org/txlor-dspace/bitstream/handle/2249.3/150/07_wartm_chng_wom_min.htm?sequence=94http://www.history.com/topics/rosie-the-riveterhttp://history.howstuffworks.com/historical-figures/rosie-riveter.htm