1 Women and the War Angela Brown Chapter 15 Section 3

Learning Targets: 1. Explain why new kinds of jobs opened up for women in World War II. 2. Compare the benefits and problems that women workers experienced. 3. Describe what happened to women workers at the end of the war. 2

3 Rosie the Riveter Rosie the Riveter- fictional young woman who worked in a defense plant – boyfriend Charles served in Marines Posters and recruitment films used to attract women to work force – young, white, middle class – motivated by patriotism to take job American women of all ages ethnic and economic backgrounds went to work in wartime

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5 Changes for Working Women Most women who worked for wages were single and young. Most people disapproved of married women working – poll 82% Americans believed a married woman should not work if her husband had a job by 1940 – 15% of married women were working.

6 New Kinds of Jobs News of better paying job openings attracted women to the work force. Moved into manufacturing – defense industries – women worked in airplane plants and ship yards as riveters, steelworkers, and welders

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8 Recruiting Women Workers Office of War Information launched a recruitment campaign – aimed at older and married women – (Poster/ads stated patriotic duty to work) Women at one point made up about 35% of the total civilian labor force. Married women workers outnumbered single women for the first time in history.

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10 Benefits of Employment Employers assumed women could do simple, repetitive tasks more effectively than men. Women better suited for certain welding jobs because they could squeeze into smaller places.

11 Women and Work Women workers used earnings to pay off debts from the Depression and pay for family homes. Other women found the work more interesting and challenging than they had done before. Many took jobs for patriotic reasons. Women were eager to prove that they could do whatever their jobs required.

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13 Jobs for African Americans Gender and racial discrimination continued. Through lawsuits and other forms of protest, African American women improved their chances in the work force. For 6.8% to 18% in industrial jobs

14 Problems for Working Women Hostile reactions form other workers. Uneasy about mixing the sexes – GM fired male supervisors and female employees found “fraternizing” or socializing with one another. Worried about leaving their children alone – day- care centers were scarce, most women preferred family members or friends care for their children.

15 Women continued to be responsible for their children and their homes. Women earned less than men for doing the same jobs – National War Labor Board in 1942 stated “Work of same quality and quantity” as men should receive the same pay – policy ignored Women had less seniority – status derived from length of service – began at bottom – lowest paying jobs.

16 After the War Government assumed after war women would leave their jobs and return home. Campaigns encouraged women to leave their jobs. Returning soldiers expected jobs back and return to family life. Articles in women’s magazines changed emphasis to homemaking, cooking, and child care – trend continued into 1950s and 1960s.

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18 Some women were tired of their defense jobs – not as fulfilling once the urgency of war ended Some women discovered new satisfaction in the workplace and stayed. Some women continued to work part-time to bring in additional income.

Exit Slip: 1. Describe working women during World War II. 2. How did women’s status compare with that of men in the war production work force? 3. The government assumed that after the war most working women would… 4. How do you think World War II might have changed American women’s attitudes toward their roles in the workplace? 19