Women's Rights In Ww2 Essay

Women's rights in WW2.

WW2 was an important stepping stone in initiating Women's rights in Australia. Women's

roles before the war were very basic and women didn't get many rights because men

were considered to be the leader of the household. There were many campaigns for

women in the war including campaigns for nursing and on the home front, although

some people argued that there should have been more campaigns for different roles in

the war. After the war, women's rights became more important to the government and

the general public. They were treated differently. New service roles were also opened

to women including work in the airforce, which was a big step. WW2 saw changes to the

roles that women played on the home and fighting

As the situation became

more desperate, many were called overseas, particularly in New Guinea. They worked

on observation posts as anti-aircraft gunners, drivers, mechanics, and radio operators.

Some people in the Government were determined to send more over to other countries

to help that they would protest against there friends and families for women's rights in

World War Two.

The Second World War played an important part in initiating Women's rights. The

Government and general public thought different after the war of Women and their

capabilities. In the novel, When the War came to Australia, Dorthy Hewitt wrote ' The

war had a tremendous effect on the liberation of Women. To be important, that was

the thing: to be absolutely necessary for the running of the country.' This states that

women were needed to run the country once the war was over and women's rights were

taken into action. Women had played a significant role in the war and had contributed

to winning the war. It was then acknowledged that they would be given equal rights.

They were soon given the right to vote, and later on women were elected for

Government roles. In the domestic front, divorce laws became simpler and they

They saw work in the airforce and the land army. Facing a severe manpower

shortage, women were expected to take over. A new Australian women airforce was

formed in July 1950 and in November became the Women's Royal Australian Air Force

(WRAAF). Enlistment for the Women's Royal Australian Army corps (WRAAC) began in

April 1951 and Women's Royal Australian Navy (WRANS) was also reconstituted in 1951.

Thirty three nurses deployed overseas during the Malayan Emergency and Australian

Service Women worked in British Commonwealth Occupation Force (BCOF) hospitals in

Japan and Korea during and after the war. There was more work for women, such as the

Women's Australian Auxiliary Air Force (WAAAF) Which reached full capacity by October

1944. Almost all of the services that were formed were not part of the existing navy,

airforce or land army but they were additional or supplementary to them.

WW2 was an important stepping stone in initiating Women's Rights in Australia. Women's

rights before the war were very limited and there were only certain things married

women could pursue. There were many campaigns during the war but some