Summary

Before the war, few women had served in the military. During the war, 350,000 women joined the armed forces, taking on roles like mechanics, pilots, and drivers. The Navy WAVES built decryption machines called Bombes, and Sallie Braun ran the Army Port of San Francisco alone. However, servicewomen faced gender discrimination, and Black women were not accepted in the Navy until 1944. Most servicewomen were discharged after the war and often denied GI Bill benefits.

In the workforce, many women had worked in nursing or teaching before the war; they faced wage discrimination. During the war, women's employment rose from 12 to 19 million, giving them a sense of independence. They worked in munitions, aircraft, and shipbuilding. Despite these gains, they faced harassment, held only 4% of skilled jobs, and were paid less than men. After the war, most women were laid off, and wage discrimination continued.

Before the war, most women saw themselves only as wives and mothers. The war saw them move into different roles, succeed and grow in self-belief. Society praised them. And the National Federation of Business and Professional Women's Clubs supported their rights. However, many married women returned to traditional roles after the war, and feminism didn't reemerge until the 1960s.

How far did the situation of women improve in America during World War Two?

During World War II, the situation of women in America experienced significant changes.

Before the war, few women had served in the military, primarily as nurses, telephonists, and cooks.

The war brought substantial advancements, with 350,000 women joining the armed forces. They served in the Women’s Army Corps (WAC), as Pilots (WASPs), as Navy WAVES, and in the Marine Corps Women’s Reserve. Women took on roles previously reserved for men, working as mechanics, pilots, drivers, gunnery instructors, air traffic controllers, weather forecasters, and translators. The Navy WAVES even built decryption machines called Bombes. Sallie Braun notably ran the Army Port of San Francisco single-handedly.

However, these advancements came with caveats. Servicewomen faced gender discrimination; women of color faced a double burden of racism and sexism, with the Navy not accepting Black women until 1944. When the war ended, most servicewomen were discharged, and their units disbanded, but women veterans often were often denied the benefits in the GI Bill.

In the workforce, before the war, some middle-class and married women had worked, but mostly in jobs such as nursing or teaching. They had suffered wage discrimination, and unions opposed women in employment.

During the war, the number of women in work rose from 12 to 19 million, with women occupying a third of all jobs; employment gave them a sense of independence, responsibility, and self-belief. Three million more volunteered for the Red Cross. Women took on jobs in munitions, aircraft, railways, and electronics, with the number in shipbuilding rising from 36 in 1939 to 200,000 in 1942. Women worked in heavy-duty jobs as welders and machinists, and 'Rosie the Riveter' became a social icon. The Department of Labor found that women paid more attention to detail and worked faster than their male counterparts. In 1943, Congress allocated $20 million under the Lanham Act to fund hundreds of war nurseries for an estimated 550,000 children.

Despite these gains, women often experienced sexual harassment and violence at work, in public, and at home. They occupied only 4% of skilled jobs and were still paid less than men. Unions sought assurances that women’s wartime work would only be temporary. Black, Latino, Native American, and Asian American women faced particular racism and discrimination. When the war ended, nearly all women were laid off. There was no long-term gain in wage differentials, and a 1944 Bill prohibiting wage discrimination for women failed in Congress. The Lanham funding ended with the war.

In terms of civil rights, most women before the war had accepted their roles as wives and mothers.

During the war, American society began to accept women in diverse roles, and they were praised as competent and intelligent. The National Federation of Business and Professional Women's Clubs (BPW) advocated for women's rights, developing a classification system for women with specialized skills.

Nevertheless, many married women were happy to return to their roles as wives and mothers after the war, and the number of women in employment continued to decline. 'Quickie' wartime marriages led to many unhappy relationships, and 'Second Wave' feminism did not appear until the 1960s.

While World War II brought significant changes and opportunities for women, many of these advances were temporary, and any move to equality ended when the war ended.