Women's Role In Ww2 Essay

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In 1939 when Germany invaded Poland, the British Government declared a state of war. The Australians were opposed to German expansion, but were also closely tied to Britain. When PM Menzies inaugurated that ‘Australia was also at war’, a rapid set in motion began, a movement which revolutionised the rights of women in Australia to this day. The Women’s contribution and impacts in World War 2 allowed Australia to remain a powerful force in the war while challenging stereotypical gender roles for women. These women outgrew their traditional household roles to fulfill the war effort, which is extremely important in regard to the women’s rights crusade. They challenged the standard women’s gender roles in the absence of men and proved themselves to be adequate figures in the workforce. Before World War 2, it was generally accepted that women’s roles were as nurturers and homemakers. Their destiny was to get married, have children and devote their lives to the needs of their family. This was reinforced by the…show more content…
Women who entered the services on the home front were paid a far lower rate than their male counterparts doing exactly the same job. In the initial stages of the war women’s roles were limited to voluntary labour. The Government tapped into the huge potential labour force by creating the Women’s Voluntary National Register. By May of 1942, 15 000 women were registered for unpaid work such as Sewing, Typing, Providing transport, Air raid duties, some were even given medical training. Women’s participation in the workforce further jumped 25% in the next year and the women found work as Mechanics, Aircraft women, Bank tellers and in many other areas. Suddenly there were job opportunities in the banking, insurance and the government sectors, previously denied to them. Despite these opportunities, it was made clear these jobs were only for the duration of the

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