A Woman's Work

The role of housewife and mother has taken many turns throughout our country's history.  As society continues to change and evolve, so do each of our roles in it, and with that our responses to the challenges put forth.  One of these most remarkable turns was during World War II.  Forever immortalized by the "Rosie the Riveter" icon was the government's call for housewives to take the factory jobs left vacant by the men called to war.  

"Ronnie, the Bren Gun Girl" in Canada and the fictional "Rosie the Riveter" in the United States were both set up as symbols of empowered females who could do their part for the war effort.  Despite the reluctance of many of the woman who eventually filled these positions was the need to support her family in the absence of her husband and the elevation from clerical and administrative work to higher paying positions.  

Momentum that is built up has great force and it is not easily stopped or reversed.  This can be said about the movement of women in the workforce as well.  According to the Encyclopedia of American Economic History, the number of working American women increased from 12 million to 20 million by 1944, a 57% increase from 1940.  Despite the fact that the government largely expected the women who had filled the positions of necessity during wartime to return to lower paying positions, many were inspired to continue working out of the house and many had no choice.  

Although women were paid less then men for the same position, the idea of a "man's job" in our society was forever changed.  Men were not only replaced in the workforce, there was also the formation of the 'All-American Girls Professional Baseball League' (1943-1954), whose memory was brought back to life by the movie 'A League of Their Own.'  After championing women in so many areas previously unknown to them in order to fill a void, it was unrealistic to expect things to go back to the way they had been before.  

Albeit there is a need for all to help in times of crisis such as war, there is also the impossibility of undoing that which has been done.  The European countries where the fighting took place were not the only ones effected by World War II.  Our own country was also forever changed in many ways and it is interesting to trace back the genesis of those changes.  Today in our society many women (or men for that matter) no longer have the option not to work, even after having children and a family.  Great progress that was unexpected has been made in certain areas and lost in others.