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World War 2 Women Essay

1289 Words6 Pages

World War Two forced an entire gender to take part in society in a way unprecedented in the nation’s past. Men had left the United States by the millions, leaving behind a society devoid of its bread earners. In order to support the economy and the nation, women flooded into the workforce, earning money and a sense of freedom unlike the world had ever seen. Despite the fact that the war saw the death of an incomprehensible amount of people, for women, it was the birth of a way of life. A chance to go out, earn money and bond with other women turned World War Two into an opportunity to better the woman’s condition in the United States. However, in contention to the image of happy women on the Homefront, these strides were not as well received or as welcoming as it may appear. Women who entered the workforce worked long and arduous hours, and were met with grueling psychological conditions, sexual harassment, with even more complex …show more content…

These two alone could often add anywhere from two hours a day in transport, or two miles a day walking to a form of community transport. Additionally, there was the endless waiting. In order to provide for their families, women must not only spend their time laboring but standing in lines in order to get those valuable rationed foods. One young mother named Ester Burgard, in response to a question from her son asking what they were in line for, replied that “I don’t know, but we’ll soon find out.” Every second of these women lives seemed to have a vitally important task for them to complete. The strain put on the women bodies were not simply physical, for a sad consequence of the women in the workforce was the sexualization and condemnation coming in from all sides of a culture not quite sure what to do with this sudden shift in worker

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