The Role Of Canadian Women During World War II

The Canadian men who served in World War II are well known and respected for their efforts, something many Canadians today fondly remember and are proud of. However one must not forget that without women forming the backbone of Canada and other allied countries, the outcome of the war could have been drastically different. Simply put, they were just as essential as men in the war effort. Canadian women in the second world war changed from their previous roles of just being a good wife and mother to fighting in the Canadian Armed Forces. Even those who were not on the frontlines, served in the industries by taking male jobs which in turn freed more men to go overseas. Lastly, women were doing unpaid volunteer work back home (Mothers of the Home

Women played many roles on Canadian home soil such as producing food, raising money for the war, and routinely volunteering. Since so many men were away, women had to take over and learn basic skills such as repairing cars and managing finances (Canadian Women During World War II, n.d.). They also became agricultural farmers (Canadian Women During World War II, n.d.) and learned how to drive tractors pick fruit, raised garden, and produced poultry and eggs (Pierson, 2008). Furthermore women were to left to run communities and in their job was to raise money to support Canadians on the frontline (Canadian Women During World War II, n.d.). One such story was when the city of Mission exceeded their quota for their war services fund as they rasied 2900 dollars while what was required was 2000 (Canadian Women During World War II, n.d.). While members of this community were not in the battle, they were doing their part by supporting their fellow Canadians on the front line. Public organizations were put into action such as the Federated Women’s Institutes of Canada, the Imperial Order Daughters of the Empire, the Canadian Red Cross Society, and the Young Women's Christian Association (Pierson, 2008). These organizations were dedicated to informing citizens of events, initiating programs, increasing Canada’s power and influence, increasing employment, giving more educational opportunities, and supporting those in the war (Chenier, 2006). These organizations were grouped under the Women’s Voluntary Services (WVS) in 1942 by the government so they could be better directed and coordinated (Pierson, 2008). In addition, The federal WVS created a Block Plan where house to house canvassing and collecting would take place to help those in the community (Pierson, 2008). They also helped organize programs where they distributed ration