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Women's Changes In Canada After Ww2

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Before World War II began, women were not a large part of the workforce. Women were expected to stay at home and take care of the children and the house while their husbands went to work. The Second World War changed these views and women’s labour was recognized as a valuable resource. Women’s employment was a new idea and was strange for some people to see. The beginning of the war was a pivotal point in the changes coming for women in the workforce. In my paper I will be discussing how and why women’s employment in Canada changed because of WWII. The Canadian Women’s Army Corps (CWAC) contributed a lot to the changes in women’s employment during World War II. In the Second World War, Canada recognized that this war was going to be very …show more content…

Forty percent of the women who enlisted said that patriotism was their motivation. Around one-third of the women said that they joined in search of new opportunities and adventure. Other women stated different reasons: that they wanted to be near loved ones who were already serving, experience the prestige of being in uniform, and release men for combat …show more content…

Donating clothes, planting victory gardens, knitting scarves, socks, sweater, and mittens were common contributions women made from their own homes to support the army. World War II opened opportunities for mass numbers of women to work and leave the home for the first time in history. When the war was over and the surviving soldiers came home expecting the women to quit the jobs they had taken, most women did quit but still wanted to work. As for the women whose husbands had perished during the war, they were forced to continue to work to take care of themselves and their families. The war was a time for the women to get a taste of work and more independence. This was a beginning point for the changes that would come for women’s rights and opportunities. Women’s employment increased from 5.1 million in 1939 (26% of all women of working age) to over 7.25 million in 1943 (36%). 90% of all able-bodied women aged 18-40 were engaged in some form of work or National Service by September 1943. Whether these women were working in the CWAC, in factory jobs, or even doing volunteer work from home, they were engaged in work. World War II changed the way people viewed women working outside the home. The Second World War allowed women to see that their contributions to society could be of value both in the workplace and at home. Society also recognized

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