Women During Ww2

In the 1930’s the United States encountered the country’s most severe economic decline, The Great depression, caused by over confident banking structuring. The banking structure can be seen to be faulted over- indebtedness and deflation based on Irving Fisher theology. The crisis first surfaced due to the stock market crash of October 29th 1929 known as Black Tuesday. With the decline of industrial productivity falling 46%, unemployment rates rose 607% and foreign sales declined 70%. The country was poverty stricken and advancements such as construction and technologies nearly halted leaving the country at a near standstill. The country started recovering in the years before 1941 as the United States joined World War II alongside French

The majority of woman worked within the household, keeping the home clean and orderly, tending to children and gardening. By being home bodies, wives heavily depended economically on their husbands in a male dominant work force. But, with husbands and well able men being conscribed into World War II women’s roles drastically changed. Much like World War I woman assumed male roles in the work force. In 1940, one year prior to US entry of the war men stood for 74.8% of the workforce while woman only made up 25.2% of labor. During the following years of 1941-1945 woman making up the work force raised to 29.2%. The increase of 4% employment does not in entirety reflect women’s roles changing. This percentage can have also been affected by the country trying to recover from the Great Depression. Not only did woman join the work force taking over conscripted men’s roles but, labored in war time productions, prosperity efforts and

While the male dominated public sphere was redefined as the international stage of military action. It is estimated that 6.5 million women entered the labor force due to the war. Woman held jobs in many fields ranging from welders to propaganda poster artist. In 1944, 37% of all adult women were reported in the work force, but nearly 50% of all women were actually employed at some time during that year at the height of wartime production. The increase in women’s employment was said to be in part due to patriotism but also financial needs. Another point of encouragement to join and contribute to the work force was propaganda. The most popular propaganda for woman during World War II is the iconic Rosie the Riveter. The term "Rosie the Riveter" was first used in 1942 in a song Rosie the Riveter by Redd Evans and John Jacob Loeb. Numerous bands covered the song increasing its popularity making the song a national sensation. The song portrays Rosie as an all American patriotic woman based off Canadian plant manufacturing worker Veronica Foster . Lyrics such as, “All the day long, whether rain or shine ,She's a part of the assembly line, She's making history, working for victory” encouraged woman to aid in the fight of the war and a way to work towards victory like their male counterparts. Other lyrics aimed to relate to woman like,