Women's Roles After Ww2

On September 1st, 1939, a war of all nations had started. It was a war that took many lives and left many others without a family, yet that very same war created a change for the women of United States. The World War 2 redefined the roles of women in United States and altered the way society regards women. Before the WW2 “women worked inside the house” (Bryant 2) and were labeled as a “housewife” (Bryant 2). Moreover, “many women worked side by side with their spouses” (Bryant 2) yet did not hold the same “political power” as men. Furthermore, while women performed many duties at home it was not “considered real work, because… they earned no money” (Bryant 2). American culture saw women as a helpmate for the man and a “nanny” for the children. Women often were not allowed to voice their opinion and an education for a female was seen as a worthless option. Moreover, even when women started trying to continue their education many majors were not available for
The WW2 “opened up tremendous opportunities for women” (Foley 1). Many men left for war with the armed services and many jobs previously occupied by men became open and “women power… was in demand” (Bryant 4). Many women saw this as “a new opportunity” (Kiernan 7) to “go and do and be whoever” (Kiernan 31) they wanted. They quickly filled the jobs that men left unattended an excelled at their duties. In this time women begin wearing clothing ones thought unfeminine (Bryant 7) and had an opportunity to show everyone they could be just as capable as men. Moreover, women felt like there were not just helping themselves with a high paying job, but that they were also providing food for their family, helping the economy, and assisting in the war effort. Men thought that women working was just a temporary phenomenon however just like Oakridge, “temporary was the last thing…it turned out to be” (Kiernan 306). Females continued to work many years after the