Women's Role In Ww2 Essay

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World War II is a turning point of American history and it also has caused an important influence on American society, such as women’s role. Under traditional customs, women are always considered to be gentle, kind, and vulnerable and these characteristics segregate them from cruel wars. In addition, they are expected to devote themselves to family and fulfill their role as wives and mothers. Therefore, women’s status in the society and family was relatively low in the early 19th century. Lots of jobs were kept for men and married women were hindered from holding jobs in some states before World War II. With the United States’ declaration of war because of the Japanese’s attack at Pearl Harbor in 1941, women’s role began to change. As more…show more content…
People even though that “truly feminine women do not want careers, higher education, political rights – the independence and opportunities that the old-fashioned feminists fought for” (Friedan 15). As for military, women’s status was low. Women had been took part in wars for a long time, but their role was not fully recognized and they were still prevented from joining the army during World War I. Most of them worked as nurses and spies in wars. As for workforce, most women engaged in feminine jobs, such as teachers, waitress, and saleswomen. Under the influence of the Great Depression, many women faced fiercer competition from men in many industries. Influenced by traditional gender roles, women, especially married women, were restricted on job opportunities and many jobs were only open for men. As for family, men had the absolute authority. Men were main bread winners and decision makers while many women were often confined to subordinate to men. As for education, women’s education improved rapidly. By 1900, 80% of high schools in the United States accepted women and the number of women admitted to public colleges increased by 1,000% in the first two decades of the 20th century (Chafe, 89). However, majors for women were limited and most of them were only allowed to major in liberal arts and education. With the United States’ declaration of war, women’s role began to

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