Women and the War
During the war, women worked at jobs previously reserved for men.
The profile of women in the work force changed during WW2.
Employers were usually pleased to have women workers.
In general, women enjoyed the benefits of being employed.
Many women like the work that thought was interesting and challenging than they had encountered in the past.
Between 1940-1944 the proportion of African American women in industrial jobs increased from 6.8% to 18%.
During the war, working women experienced a number of problems in the workplace.
When the war ended, women were encouraged to give up their jobs.
Why would Rosie the Riveter have had less seniority than the men with whom she worked?
Post War
During the war, women worked at jobs previously reserved for men.
- Women moved out of the traditional women’s jobs (e.g. secretary) in manufacturing jobs
- Riveting
- Welding
- Machining
- Painting
The profile of women in the work force changed during WW2.
- Before the war, women who worked for wages were single and young
- During the war, for the first time in history, married women outnumbered single women in the work force
Employers were usually pleased to have women workers.
- Believed in false stereotypes:
- They thought women could do simple repetitious tasks better than men
- Women could fit into smaller areas better
In general, women enjoyed the benefits of being employed.
- Women enjoyed the idea of paying off debts that accumulated over the Depression.
Many women like the work that thought was interesting and challenging than they had encountered in the past.
- As a result of lawsuits and other forms of protest, working conditions for African American women changed.
Between 1940-1944 the proportion of African American women in industrial jobs increased from 6.8% to 18%.
- The number of domestic service jobs these women had went from 60%-45%
During the war, working women experienced a number of problems in the workplace.
- Some women faced hostile reaction from other workers, especially men.
- As a rule, women earned significantly less than men.
When the war ended, women were encouraged to give up their jobs.
- Return service men expect to get their jobs back once they came back.
- A campaign by industrialist and government officials encouraged women to leave their jobs. (Ads in Magazines)
- The How To Book: How to get your wife back home book
Why would Rosie the Riveter have had less seniority than the men with whom she worked?
- Rosie the Riveter, being the symbolic women of WW2, did not begin working in factories until after the war began, which would have gave her less time on the job than most other men.
Post War
- Many women did leave the assembly lines but many women did not
- From this point forward, women had proved they could do the jobs men could
- Women continue to work in assembly lines across the country
- Women Entrepreneurs: Women worked from home, selling Tupperware, Cosmetics, etc.