How Did Ww2 Affect Australian Women

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Despite World War II being a tragic conflict that consumed the lives of so many, destroyed homes and livelihoods, and scattered families around the globe, it was ironically beneficial to the role and status of Australian women. Women’s roles in society were dramatically affected during and after the Second World War. This changed society in that it gave women more choices on how to live their lives and men accepted and respected women as equals not only professionally and economically but socially. The significance of these occurrences within Australia becomes present when reviewing and comparing the roles of women before and after WWII.
Society had specific ideals for the role of the women before the Second World War, who were generally not considered equal to men …show more content…

Whilst many were expected to give up their jobs when soldiers returned, as they had done after World War I, social attitudes towards what women were capable of doing had been changed by the experience. Despite these fuelling women’s attempts to achieve better conditions and pay for themselves in the workforce, the post-war era was very materialistic and entrenched the ideal that women should only be wives and mothers and look after the home. Women have more choice and freedom now as is illustrated for example by their sexual freedom and control over reproduction. Women have been able to reach high executive positions in politics, the professions and in business. It is, however, far more difficult for women to attain these positions than it is for men. Laws attempting to create equal pay and equal opportunity for women do not automatically ensure that this is the reality for women. Women's and men's roles in the home have changed little despite the women's liberation movement. Education on the other hand has significantly improved in terms of female and male

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