The role and contribution of American women during the Great Depression and the Second

World War

Wilson Chira

American Military Experience

Professor Andy Murray
December 5, 2014

The role and contribution of American women during the Great Depression and the
Second World War

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In 1920s, America was considered as a prosperous nation. Savings were bountiful, and the
majority of Americans owned homes including luxuries. Nevertheless, in 1929, the renowned
stock market crash and downward spiral of the economy led to the onslaught of the Great
Depression. Poverty in America hit both middle and upper-income earners. It was a dangerous
season as many people were shocked and others went into denial; some even became suicidal.
The crisis of Great Depression and crisis of Second World War were the worst crises to hit
America in the twentieth century1.
The problem of unemployment was rampant and it made the life of Americans difficult.
Unemployment, homelessness, and hunger were considered as men's problems, and therefore
men were expected to solve them. However, due to the Great depression, men's incomes could
would not be enough to address those issues. World War II played a major role in solving the
problem of unemployment as it prompted the creation of job opportunities for both women and
men. The Great Depression forced women to ponder beyond their traditional roles in their
families. Though women were traditionally perceived as homemakers, they had to be involved in
the road map of bringing up new solutions to the problem of unemployment. American women
played their roles well and decided to involve themselves in jobs outside their household duties.
Despite the reluctance to accept the ability of women to work in masculine professions,
women managed to secure job positions in various fields2. Female University students of
Washington were at the forefront of the social changes that took place at the time. They assumed
new roles, which challenged traditional roles in their society. It prompted them to pursue new
avenues of education that were previously unavailable. Though understated, American women

NOAA. Women in the weather bureau during World War II

James T. Patterson, Americas Struggle against Poverty: 1900-1994

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had a profound effect on their nations economic, social, and political spheres during the Great
Depression and World War II.
With the American men being recruited to the war effort, labor quickly diminished. That
now raised concerns on who could "man" the assembly lines in the production plants to produce
the much-needed supplies for the war. Consequently, the government thought of a radical
solution have women working in factories and production plants to produce and sustain the
production of war supplies. However, this was not a popular move within prominent male circles
since during the Great Depression, jobs were scarce, and unemployment rates were high.
Nonetheless, in order to fill the shortage of labor throughout the production plants, an army of
women power entered the work force. The duties that men had left behind were picked up by
daughters, mothers, wives, and schoolchildren2. There were continuous appeals by the
government issued throughout World War II through adverts placed in newspapers and
magazines to attract the attention of women. The advertisements did not solely emphasize factory
and defense work; all types of employment opportunities were advertised to women. That gave
women the spirit to work in areas they were not used to such as operating the gates of factories
that produced war items and working in these factories to produce the needed war items. Slogans
were shouted all over the country claiming, "The more women we put to work, the sooner well
win."3 Women were convinced by such appeals to work with the aim of saving their men and
ending the war sooner. By offering to work in those fields, the security of their nation was
enhanced and the war was sustained since the army could not run out of the items they needed for
the war. In addition, the women played motivational roles to their husbands by providing a
much-needed effort to them. With the support of women, men at the war front were able to fight
with great hope thus securing the nation2.
3

Kathy, M. The Invisible Women of the Great Depression

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Prior to the Great Depression, women were only allowed to do work that was considered
to be a womans work.4 Examples of such work were secretaries, waitresses and seamstresses.
After the Great Depression, women were encouraged to take up work that was considered more
of a mans work. During the Great Depression, the primary role of women was that of
homemaking. It was believed that the woman's place was at home with the role of providing
child care, houses cleaning and house cooking. Those who had finished colleges, like their male
counterparts, had a difficult time finding job opportunities. It was difficult for women with
families to keep their families together because their male counterparts were often out of work
and in search for short term employment. Although women were creative with their cooking,
they had to put up with the little that they had because they could not find more elaborate meals
for their families. Women generally labored to support their families during the trying times.
Everyone developed their own methods of coping with the shocking nature of the crisis of the
Great Depression3. This period, which appeared grim for the American nation, marked a very
significant time in America's history where American culture shifted and gender discrimination at
work places was challenged. The state of the great Depression was brought to an end when
America entered World War II. Women were now considered able to perform mens work, in the
same measure as men. They were forced by circumstances to assume mens roles while the men
headed to war during the Second World War1.
During the Second World War, minority members were put to work thus breaking racial
barriers. From all occupations, those who were already working switched to high-paying jobs in
defense forces. Then of course, women, who were staying at home, were not left behind; they
also joined war-related jobs. The American cultural beliefs changed completely, because
previously one could not foresee women working in war-related fields. They got jobs in child
4

Watkins, T.H. The Great Depression: America in the 1930s

5
care centers that were set close to production and manufacturing plants for their families
convenience. Some of those who used to stay at home with their children could now go and work
for their country. The women were advised to utilize technical training so as to prepare them to
take over positions that were left vacant by men at the war front. The nature of this advice was
aimed at instilling a sense of patriotism among women as well as helping them to raise their
living standards from the subsequent income that they would receive5. In fields such as nursing
and other medical services, women were at the forefront and accomplished tasks that helped to
support the American effort. Women were engaged in all sorts of work to earn a living and
contributed their services and efforts towards winning the war. That changed the lives of many in
America, especially those who had given up in life after losing their life savings during the Great
Depression. Families started to improve their living standards by meeting the basic needs and
wants from the pay received from either men at war or women working in war-related fields1.
When America entered World War II, the country increased its labor output by moving
rapidly to convert auto factories into aircraft plants, expanding shipyards and building new
factories. To fill the shortage of workforce created by the deployment of male soldiers to Europe,
the complex jobs previously performed by a highly skilled labor force were broken down into
small, simple tasks that could be quickly learned and carried out. There was a promise of wellpaying jobs that attracted unemployed personnel from urban areas and rural towns. The shift in
roles of women was therefore stressed in order to make them alter their nurturing and domestic
roles. Self-sacrifice was evident among women who safely brought their loved ones home and
continued to nurture and cherish them4. Women were recruited into factories. As a result, their

Holly, A. Women in the New Deal Era: An in-depth study of womens roles and attitudes
during the Great Depression
5

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yearly earnings began to rise considerably. This increase in earnings was a result of the increased
rate of pay, overtime work, and the expanded employment opportunities.
Women were hired to play roles in fields such as servicing, repairing, machine
maintenance, operating the factory gates, working in production factories, tractor drivers, crane
operators and in professional classes usually filled by men. Since the salaries and wages in the
ammunition plants and aircraft factories were 40 percent higher than in those in the typical
female fields, hiring of women represented a significant change in the occupation ladder6.
Women were also involved in ammunition production in the manufacturing factories where they
enjoyed higher wages. 10 in every 100 married women moved into the workforce during World
War II. On the flip side, voluntary jobs and housework jobs were occupied by majority of
married women. The female workers were therefore faced with the challenge of maintaining a
home and simultaneously performing at their new places of employment. Recruiters focused
their job recruiting efforts mainly towards women because they represented the majority of the
unemployed population after the deployment of male soldiers to the war. The majority of women
took this opportunity and fulfilled their patriotic responsibilities at home by becoming key
contributors to the overall war effort5.
Women worked in the American Red Cross where they not only got training on basic first
aid techniques, but also volunteered themselves to the local USO, which was considered as an
honor. They nursed wounds and injuries sustained in the war. Most women felt patriotic and
always wanted to provide support to their community. Despite wanting money to cater for their
families needs, many women placed the needs of their communities above their own personal
wants. Men began to realize the positive impact and significant contributions of women who
Nicolette, F. Challenging Gender Stereotypes during the Depression: Female Students at the
University of Washington. HSTAA 105 winter 2010
6

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were working in the production industry. As more women began to be noticed and praised, their
overall sense of pride increased as they began to feel as if they were part of something greater
than themselves the overall war effort1.
It is important to highlight the different outlooks of women from the beginning of the
Great Depression to the end of World War Two. During the Great Depression, women workers
suffered a lot. Most of those who had not worked before the Great Depression were forced to
search for a job since their husbands had been laid off or were suffering from wage-cuts. More
men than women lost jobs during the Great Depression5. However, it was easier for women to
find employment in manufacturing plants and factories than men. Women also worked in nonindustrial jobs such as teaching, domestic services, and work from home, nursing, and office
work. Those who had family responsibilities worried about unemployment. Unfortunately,
married women were not freed to work and therefore did not see the value of joining higher
institutions of learning6.
The Great Depression resulted in a spike in school tuition fees. Students at universities
began to complain about the rising cost of education. These complaints led to the creation of
student activists, many of who were female students. These students united to protest against
unjust and unfair treatment. They rallied and started questioning about the limited opportunities
and roles that were available to them. During this season, female students assumed new roles.
They realized that education was essential. They pursued new avenues of education, which had
previously seemed unpopular with them. They pursued higher education by signing up for
college courses. Previously those female students who pursued higher education often limited
their involvement because they thought that in case they planned to get married, they would not
be allowed to work thereafter. However, unemployment during the Great Depression rendered

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unemployed men unlikely candidates for marriage. Consequently, women were forced to become
more focused with their education because it presented alternate opportunities for them to
support themselves financially. Therefore, they started pursuing courses that were practical for
their future careers and jobs7.
Finally, women as students perceived their studies as being valuable for personal
advancement and enrichment. They started studying different courses regardless of those that
were traditionally thought to be unpopular with female students. The universities began offering
courses that could make female students advance in business. By enrolling in those courses in
universities, female students gained new interest in fields such as business education. These
interest in higher education courses such as business and other academic areas started to increase
nationwide. Thus women during the Great Depression changed traditional attitudes about
themselves as they began to diversify their academic goals and educational studies.

Bibliography
James T. Patterson, Americas Struggle against Poverty: 1900-1994. Cambridge, MA: Harvard
University Press, 2009.
Kathy, M. The Invisible Women of the Great Depression. Retrieved December 4, 2014, from
http://www.peakoilblues.org/blog/2009/01/14/the-invisible-women-of-the-greatdepression/, 2009.
Rosie the Riveter. US history website. Retrieved December 4, 2014, from http://www.u-shistory.com/pages/h1656.html, (n.d.).
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Rosie the Riveter. US history website

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Watkins, T.H. The Great Depression: America in the 1930s. New York: Little, Brown And
Company, 2003.
NOAA. Women in the weather bureau during World War II. Retrieved December 4, 2014, from
http://www.history.noaa.gov/stories_tales/women5.html, 2011.
Holly, A. Women in the New Deal Era: An in-depth study of womens roles and attitudes during
the Great Depression, 2012.
Nicolette, F. Challenging Gender Stereotypes during the Depression: Female Students at the
University of Washington. HSTAA 105 winter 2010, Retrieved on 4 December 2014.
http://depts.washington.edu/depress/women_uw_changing_roles.shtml, 2010.