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Gender Roles During World War II

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Women have long lived to be perceived as only being a domestic housewives. World War II challenged these views and expanded women's' responsibilities and roles. World War II made it necessary for women to take on male occupations and to serve in the military. Male and female jobs became connected for the first time. Women became both influential in the home and in the work place. Gender roles became intertwined, which challenged their expected domestic and professional occupations. Many might argue that the Women's Movement started in World War II. Studs Terkel interviewed Dellie Hahne, a women who worked as a nurses aid in WWII, whom addressed her thoughts on Women in World World II. Dellie Hahne claimed “I think a lot of women said, Screw …show more content…
During World War II, women in large quantities started to enter the workforce. This was the outcome of so many men being deployed to fight. Women were left home to work and care for their children. Women needed to take on traditionally male jobs, including making weapons for the military. This was the beginning of the intertwining gender roles. Women even worked on building tanks and planes for the military. Women also served in the military, which was unheard of in the 1940’s. They, however, did not fight on the frontline nor were they allowed to carry guns. Only the Soviet Union allowed for women to carry guns (O’Neil, …show more content…
In the factories, women comprised 36 percent of the workforce (O’Neil, WWII). In the aircraft industry, women worked 40 percent of the industry. These numbers are significant for women. Women taking these jobs and being in this industry were connected to male “gender roles.” These gender jobs and roles were opened for women, therefore, gender roles became intertwined. In fact, the employment of women increased by 60 percent in 1945 (PS. Docs wks 10, p.9). Women were also fortunate to be offered childcare and insurance (O’Neil, WWII). Women did not just enter at older ages, many young women worked as well. Peggy Tyler, a worker in a shell loading plant, was just eighteen when she started to make shells for the military (PS. Docs wks 10, p.9). Her interview with Stud Terkel reveals her experiences in World War II. Tyler states how “ignorant” she was in regards to the knowledge of the war (PS. Docs wks 10, p.9). Very few individuals really grasped the idea, that the war would result in a lot of deaths. Tyler mentioned that tetryl; a chemical used at her plant, would get all over them, and they did not even question whether it was harmful, rather they did what they were told to do (PS. Docs wks 10,

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