Women’s role in World War ll

1. Women’s role in World War ll Anu, SalMa’Ma, Alex, Khue, Alicia, Azahar

2. Before WWII Women in General: • Women were primarily working at home and very few women did traditional men jobs. Only a quarter of women had paid jobs. • Medium class: This class of women had household jobs. • Low class: this class of women had petty jobs-maids etc • Poor women: worked in factories(clothing factories etc), worked as prostitutes, seamstresses. • Received the leftover jobs that men in general didn’t want (Men>Women)

3. Before WWII White Women: • Majority of them were housewives • Discrimination of minorities

4. Before WWII Minorities: • There was severe unemployment for African Americans (men especially) • African Americans were underpaid • African Americans still witnessed discrimination • Japanese Americans had little forms of discriminations • If they were able to get a job, they would get the ones that nobody wanted (the leftovers of the leftovers of the leftovers) • In other words, “the struggle was real”

6. Women During World War ll Rosie the Riveter

7. During WWll Women in General: • Replaced the men that were serving in the war • Dramatic increase in female employment, increased by nearly 60% • Became one third of paid workers in 1945 compared to the one quarter of women who were working in the 1940 • The women were more likely to be married and older than the women who were in the workforce in the past (1 in every 4 married women were working) • Jobs were still categorized by gender, Male/Female work • Some of the prejudice against working mothers eroded away • Most women worked in service-sector jobs, many worked for the government as female clerks, secretaries, and typists. They were called “government girls” • Around 350,000 women served in the U.S. Airforce • Rarely did women make over 50% of the wages men got for the same jobs • Usually it was only the single women that tried to get jobs because married women/mothers would be homemakers.

8. Start of Feminism Rosie the Riveter: - Propaganda campaign developed by the government to encourage women to go into the workforce - 310,000 women worked in the aircraft industry, making up 65% of the workforce (compared to 1% before WWII) - Encouraged Working women to upgrade their pay to get higher wages. - Girls just graduating high school were recruited into the workforce. - One of the most successful women campaigns. - Start of Feminism First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt: - Encouraged General George Marshall to introduce Women branch in the military - 350,000 women joined the U.S. Armed Forces - 1944, encouraged by Eleanor Roosevelt, black women were welcomed into the military

9. During WWII White Women: • They were given permission to fly airplanes • “Cultural Division of Labor by Sex” -Placed lower to middle classed white women at home -Middle classed white women usually went to college, got married, then became stay at home mothers. • Even though women in general had limited job opportunities, white women specifically were given better job opportunities than minority women. • These jobs include teaching, nursing, sales, retail, and clerical work • White women who worked usually worked until marriage.

10. During WWII Minorities: • WWII did not significantly improve employment for domestic working African Americans • Jobs were categorized by race, black women were given more “menial” tasks, and were paid at a lower rate than white women. • African American women were likely to find employment in railroads, canneries, and military supply facilities that paid half of other jobs given to white women in shipyards • Some Asian women were allowed to fly planes unlike any Japanese Americans (because of Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbour) • Japanese Americans (including the women) were put into internment camps • Japanese American Women were widely discriminated against because of the attack on Pearl Harbor • Eventually, in 1944, women in New York broke the color barrier. They became telephone operators. • Higher paid jobs usually did not go to minorities, especially to women. • Service to the country was widely unrecognized

11. After WWll Women in General: • Women were more accepted into the workforce due to the massive drain of working men. • In America, there was a baby boom. The birth rate dramatically increased. • Families had money pressure to reach their wanted income, thus more married women were in the labor force than any other time in American history. • The divorce rate skyrocketed as well

12. After WWII White Women: • Many families wanted extra money and that meant they needed a wife’s earning to be able to have the lifestyle they wanted. • Middle-class women felt that they needed to stay home because they were taught, women stay home and clean while men go out to work. • They didn’t want to have certain jobs because it was clear that home and work life needed to be separate.

13. After WWll Minorities: • Japanese Americans got 38 million dollars in total to pay for their losses • A large debate ensued of if Japanese Americans (Women and Men) would be allowed to go home

14. Bibliography • American History (volume 2) -Alan Brinkleyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese-American_life_before_World_War_II • http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/WWII-meant-opportunity-for-many-women-oppression-2501118.php • http://www.nwhm.org/online-exhibits/industry/16.htm • http://www.history.com/topics/#ratchet-american-women-in-world-war-ii • http://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/wwiibayarea/womenatwar.htm • http://www.nps.gov/pwro/collection/website/rosie.htm • http://tdl.org/txlor-dspace/bitstream/handle/2249.3/150/07_wartm_chng_wom_min.htm?sequence=94 • http://www.history.com/topics/rosie-the-riveter • http://history.howstuffworks.com/historical-figures/rosie-riveter.htm