During World War II, more than 16 million American men served in the military. While this large portion of the population was overseas fighting for the United States, women had to do many of the jobs in America normally held by men. Women were considered vital assets to the war effort, and the American government made sure to use their skills and labor in many different areas to win the war. Women contributed to the successful war effort by working society, documenting the war effort, and supporting the soldiers.
The most popular image of women during World War II is the image of Rosie the Riveter—an example of a woman who stepped outside of her role in the house and into a public role in society as a worker. Even though many of the working men in factories and shipyards had left to join the military, the work in these places was important to accomplish so that the country would continue to run smoothly. During the war, women stepped in and took many of the blue-collar jobs that had been vacated by men. Just like almost every other aspect of American society during World War II, almost all efforts in factories and shipyards were geared towards winning the war. Factories began producing airplanes, tanks and weapons in mass to provide the military with resources. As workers in these factories and shipyards, women helped build “300,000 aircrafts, 12,000 ships, 86,000 tanks, 64,000 landing crafts, and millions of pieces of artillery and small weapons” (“Partners in Winning the War”). As workers, women did not take off many days but instead worked six days a week and more than twelve hours a day to keep up with the demand for supplies and weapons for the war effort. Without their work in factories and shipyards, men on the front lines would not have had sufficient resources to win the war.
In addition to serving in the military during World War II, women also provided their talents to documenting the war. Women became journalists, broadcasters, and photographers during the war to show the American people the conditions of the fighting men and the conflict around the world. By the end of the war, 127 different women had gotten licenses to act as war correspondents (“Women Come to the Front”). The opportunity to document the war through artistic efforts was a new opportunity for women. Before the war, men had a monopoly in the journalism industry and very few women worked as journalists, photographers, or broadcasters. However just like in factories and shipyards, the large numbers of men leaving to fight the war opened up positions in the industry for women who seized the opportunity to document what they saw overseas.
Women also provided crucial support to the fighting men by keeping up their morale and selling war bonds. One group called Women Insure Victory, Equality, Security (W.I.V.E.S) visited veterans’ hospitals on the weekends and weekends to cheer up wounded soldiers (“American Women in World War II”). They also sold baked goods and other treats, knitted clothing for soldiers, and sent care packages overseas to keep up the spirits of the fighting men on the front lines. Selling war bonds was another main contribution of women to the war effort. Women, often spouses of a soldier fighting in the war, would make speeches at places like movie theaters and ask people to donate money to the government to support the war (“American Women in World War II”). Their efforts to support the war through raising money and supplying homemade goods helped ensure that soldiers would remember what they were fighting for at home.
General Eisenhower, later President Eisenhower, stated that women’s service during the war was just as important to winning as the D-Day invasion in Normandy (“American Women in World War II”). Women’s service in both supporting roles at home and in roles that put them in direct danger overseas contributed to the war effort and helped ensure and American victory during World War II.
Works Cited
“American Women in World War II: On the Home Front and Beyond.” The National World War II Museum, New Orleans. http://www.nationalww2museum.org/learn/education/for-students/ww2-history/at-a-glance/women-in-ww2.html. Accessed 13 November 2014.
“Partners in Winning the War: American Women in World War II.” National Women’s History Museum. https://www.nwhm.org/online-exhibits/partners/28.htm. Accessed 13 November 2014.
“Women Come to the Front: Women, War, and Opportunity.” Library of Congress. http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/wcf/wcf0002.html. Accessed 13 November 2014.
