Isabel Crue
English 110
W. Scott Olsen
29 October 2025
Women’s Fight for Equality from the Homefront to the Workforce
The phrase “We Can Do It!” was more than just a wartime slogan. It inspired women to take on new jobs outside the home. As men left to fight in World War II, many jobs became vacant, and women stepped in to fill them. By working in fields previously dominated by men, women demonstrated they were capable of far more than society had expected and allowed previously. This shift helped challenge old stereotypes and changed how people viewed women’s abilities during and after the war. According to the Striking Women article, “World War II: 1939–1945,” women’s employment rose from 5.1 million before the war to 7.25 million during it. This increase highlighted the importance of women in the workforce. As more women worked during World War II, they proved their value beyond traditional roles and changed gender expectations in society.
During the 1930s and earlier, employment for middle- and upper-class women was deemed to lower their social status. As the National Archives article, “Women in the Work Force during World War II,” notes, the women who worked before World War II were mostly from lower working-class backgrounds, and many were minorities. Before the war, it was believed that jobs should be given to unemployed men over women, even if they needed the money to support their families (“Women in the…”). However, with the start of World War II, the need for workers opened new doors for women, no matter their social class. This shift not only changed who could work but also began to redefine the stereotype of women only being housewives.
Despite advances being made through employment, women continued to face stereotypes that questioned their abilities to perform well in their field, which was used to justify unequal treatment both during and after the war. The book, Western Women and Imperialism, edited by Nupur Chaudhuri and Margaret Strobel, explores the persistent stereotypes that portray women primarily as housewives and as less valuable than men. Even older women at the time advised the younger generation to follow the stereotypes placed upon them, as they had become part of the past generation’s reality. For example, an older woman, Mrs. Bradley, was the wife of a civil servant from 1929 to 1942. As explained in Western Women and Imperialism, she came to realize that her support for her husband during World War II would not receive proper recognition because of stereotypes. She offers her advice to a young girl by stating, “Your husband is ‘the master,’ the work is his life. You really are going to a man’s world in which you will be very much the lesser half of this imperial partnership … although you command half a dozen pairs of willing hands … merely running a house is presumed to be a full-time job, the be-all and end-all of your feminine existence” (248-249). Mrs. Bradley’s words reveal how deeply ingrained gender stereotypes were during this time period, even ingrained in women themselves. Her advice reflects the social expectation that a woman’s purpose was tied entirely to her husband and her family. By calling it a “man’s world,” she acknowledges the power imbalance that left women confined to supportive roles rather than being seen as equal partners. Women accepting that they are less valuable than men shows how stereotypes were not only imposed by men but also reinforced by generations of women who had been taught to take it as the norm. Mrs. Brandley’s words highlight that, while World War II offered many women job opportunities, gender expectations continued to shape how women viewed themselves and their place in society.
With many jobs left vacant as men were deployed to fight in the war, the need for workers led to a significant rise in women’s employment. The Federal Agency of the United States government announced that more war materials needed to be produced, but to meet this demand, they had to hire women since there were so few able-bodied men available to work (“Women in the…”). As a result, women began taking positions in jobs that had previously been limited to men. For the first time, their labor was recognized as vital to the nation’s success rather than viewed as a threat to men’s jobs. This change marked a significant turning point in how people viewed women’s abilities in the workforce and overall. However, it did not eliminate sexist beliefs. Women still faced discrimination and were often paid less than men for performing the same work.
Even to this day, women are paid less than men, even after going through the same schooling and holding the same previous experiences. The Pew Research Center, a nonpartisan center whose goal is to inform the public on issues, attitudes, and trends shaping America and the world, published an article titled “Gender Pay Gap in U.S. has Narrowed Slightly Over 2 Decades” to emphasize how, even though wages have gotten significantly better, there remains significant gender inequity seen through wage gaps. They write, “The gender pay gap has slightly narrowed in the United States over the past 20 years or so. In 2024, women earned an average of 85% of what men earned.” Despite the progress made since World War II, women continue to face inequality in the workplace, proving that the fight for fair treatment in the workplace is still far from over. The gap was substantially worse for the female workers in 1939. “Women’s pay remained on average 53% of the pay of the men they replaced” (World War II: 1939-49). This shows how wage inequality has been an ongoing issue, as even when women proved themselves against stereotypes placed upon them, their work was still overlooked. Although the pay gap has narrowed over time, the current wage gap shows that the struggle for workplace equality that began during World War II continues to this day.
The wage gap, being a striking 53% from 1939 to 1949 led many women workers to fight against unfair treatment and demand equality. Some women began joining labor unions and advocating for fair pay. In response to these efforts, the Amalgamated Engineering Union introduced a new grading system that determined women’s wages by skill level rather than gender. However, this grading system was far from perfect. Women realized that, even with this new system in place, 80% percent of women would still be receiving the lowest pay level (World War II: 1939-49). Frustrated by the change they received for unfair treatment that remained unfair, many women began organizing strikes and protests for real change for the majority of women, not just the 20% eligible under the Amalgamated Engineering Union. Eventually, during the growing labor demand, an agreement was reached to establish equal wages for men and women performing the same machine work, regardless of gender. This milestone not only reflected women’s determination to be treated fairly but also marked a significant step toward transforming gender roles in the current workforce. By standing up for fair treatment, these women helped lay the foundation for future movements, such as feminist activist movements, advocating for equal pay and workplace rights.
Even though women took on many jobs once held by men, they were still not allowed to fight alongside men in battle. Instead, their contributions were limited to primarily support roles. Even though support roles were essential to the war effort, they pushed the idea that women were not suited for direct combat. This shows the substantial gender barriers of the time, even as women proved they were able to hold their own in what was considered to be male-dominated fields, societal norms continued to limit their full participation in wartime service. Not only were they not allowed to fight in the war, but they were not even allowed to be near the front lines.
To call attention to the lack of employment for women on the frontline, even after being a significant support to the Allies in World War II, Kate Winslet and Ellen Kuras directed the movie Lee, which explores stereotypes of women during World War II through the main protagonist, Lee Miller. Based on a true story, Lee, played by Kate Winslet, was a highly successful and sought-after conflict photographer. During her time of reporting about World War II, Lee was based in London following the Blitz as a Vogue reporter. She believed that if she could be on the frontline of war, her journalism would provide more information to educate the world about what was happening, as it was right at the heart of the war. However, Lee Miller was not allowed on the frontlines simply because she was a woman, even after she had proven her talent and determination as a photographer. Kate Winslet and Ellen Kuras expose the sexism that persisted even in moments of crisis. Lee’s lack of access to the frontline reveals the inequalities experienced during wartime, highlighting not only her personal challenges but also the struggles of barriers placed on what women could do in war. This movie serves as a reminder of how women’s contributions have been overlooked and forgotten throughout history. Lee’s story shows the resilience and strength of women who fought for rights and recognition even in the worst times of war.
While Winslet and Kuras brought recent attention to women’s inequities and recognition being provided to their wartime contributions and sacrifices, historical progress was quickly undermined when World War II ended. After the conflict, many women were pushed out of jobs to make way for returning male soldiers. Even after proving themselves worthy through their service aiding the Allies’ victory in World War II, many women were fired from their jobs so that men returning from war would have employment. In an interview titled “Women and Work,” with University of Minnesota historian Elaine Tyler May, published by History Link, she examines the effects of women’s employment in World War II, following men’s return home after the war. In the interview, May highlights how women’s longing for employment resulted in a step back from previously made efforts through claiming, “After the war, women were still employed as secretaries, waitresses, or in other clerical jobs, what we often call the ‘pink collar’ workforce. Those jobs were not as well paid, and they were not as enjoyable or challenging, but women did take those jobs because they either wanted or needed to keep working.” Even after all the efforts put into employment equality for women, society continued to limit their opportunities to roles deemed suitable for their gender. The regression following World War II revealed that while it had expanded women’s possibilities, lasting equality requires a change in social attitudes.
Not only did the demand for returning men to their previous jobs cause women to get pushed out of employment, but the postwar baby boom also reinforced traditional gender roles. As birth rates increased in the nation, the stereotype of women as housewives and mothers once again became the societal expectation. Even women who maintained the house and worked part-time still described their primary job as being a housewife because that was what society believed was their main priority (“Women and Work”). This return to traditional roles highlights how ingrained gender expectations were in pre- and postwar society. Despite women’s proven ability to succeed in fields considered male-dominated during the war, cultural norms continued to prioritize men as the money-makers and women as caretakers.
Women were not content with merely upholding the standards of housewives, and eventually, employment rates rose following the second wave of the women’s rights movement. Feminist rights movements arose in the 1950s and 1960s, and these protests kept the battle for women’s employment going. The article “What Were Women’s Rights in the 1950s,” written by Dineen Annie and published in the Centennial 2.0, Women’s Rights Law School, explores the increase of women returning to the workforce and the impact of women’s activist movements for employment. Annie indicates the effects of feminist movements by presenting numerical data showing that in 1950, 29% of women ages 16 and over were employed, and by 1960, the number had risen to 36%. This employment increase shows how activism and social pressure began to challenge traditional gender norms, proving that women’s participation in the workforce was both desired and necessary for societal progress, not just as a temporary solution during wartime.
While women joining the workforce prior to World War II was unusual, today 57.5% of women work outside of the home as of March 2025 (Fu). While on the surface this suggests workplace equality, this is far from the truth. As mentioned earlier, the Pew Research Center reported women earned 85% of what men earned in 2024. A year later, women’s earnings have dropped, and now women earn only 83% of the dollar earned by men (Fu). In an article titled, “The Power of Women in the Workplace,” author Jing Fu reports that pay inequities are not consistent across the board. In management, women earn only 79% of men’s wages; in sales, 70%; and in the legal profession, 64% of every dollar men earn (Fu).
Not only are women underpaid for the same work performed as their male peers, but women are also often tasked with childcare and household duties. The term, “The Second Shift,” was coined by sociologist Arlie Russell Hochschild in 1989 to explain the phenomenon of women working outside of the home and then coming to work a “second shift” in their home. This second shift represents that for many women, even if partnered, they are still responsible for caring for children, cooking, cleaning, and other household responsibilities, such as shopping for groceries. This also includes an unseen mental load of responsibilities like scheduling doctors’ appointments, planning birthday parties, and even keeping track of unfinished work or anticipating future needs of both children and their partners (Pan). In fact, in her article, “Clocking Out of the Second Shift,” Pan explains, “married women in the United States performed about 1.6 times as much housework and 1.8 times as much childcare as men.” This aligns with research by author Sarah Jane Glynn, who states that fathers have more leisure time than mothers. In Sarah Jane Glynn’s article, “An Unequal Division of Labor,” she presents statistics showing the impact of women’s “second shift” on their leisure time. Every day, women do over 5% more childcare hours, and “Fathers have on average 0.73 hours, or 44 minutes, of leisure time per day that is not spent caring for children, while mothers have only 0.51 hours, or 31 minutes, per day.”
As more women joined the workforce during World War II, they not only proved their worth beyond traditional roles but also paved the way for changes in society’s views on gender. This was in direct contrast to life in the 1930s, when women were even more shut out of outside employment. Yet, during the 1930s and after, women faced many stereotypes that pigeonhole them as housewives. However, this did not stop them from entering the workforce following job vacancies caused by the sheer number of men deployed to war. Even though they were now allowed to maintain jobs that were once seen as male-only, women still were not allowed on the frontline. Winslet and Kuras eloquently depicted this struggle in the film Lee. Despite attention being brought to women’s work, after World War II, many women were in “pink-collar” jobs, and the baby boom reinforced traditional gender roles. Feminist activism brought about changes during the 1950s and 1960s, yet today’s statistics still show many inequalities in women’s pay and workload. Women’s courage and determination during World War II not only redefined what women could do but also transformed the course of gender equality in society, a course that we are still redefining today.
Work Cited:
Annie, Dineen. “What Were Women’s Rights in the 1950s.” Centennial 2.0, 1 Nov. 2022, www.2020centennial.org/what-were-womens-rights-in-the-1950s/.
Chaudhuri, Nupur, and Margaret Strobel, editors. Western Women and Imperialism. Indiana University Press, 1992.
Fry, Richard, and Carolina Aragão. “Gender Pay Gap in U.S. Has Narrowed Slightly Over 2 Decades.” Pew Research Center, 4 Mar. 2025, www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2025/03/04/gender-pay-gap-in-us-has-narrowed-slightly-over-2-decades/.
Fu, Jing. “The Power of Women in the Workforce.” Eye On Housing, National Association of Home Builders, 22 Apr. 2025, eyeonhousing.org/2025/04/the-power-of-women-in-the-workforce/#:~:text=According%20to%20the%20March%202025%20Employment%20Situation,(47%25)%20of%20the%20total%20U.S.%20labor%20force.
Glynn, Sarah Jane. “An Unequal Division of Labor.” Center for American Progress, 18 May 2018, www.americanprogress.org/article/unequal-division-labor/.
Lee. Directed by Kate Winslet & Ellen Kuras, StudioCanal UK, 2023.
Pan, Jennifer C. “Clocking Out of the Second Shift.” Jacobin, 4 July 2025, jacobin.com/2025/04/clocking-out-of-the-second-shift#:~:text=In%201989%2C%20the%20sociologist%20Arlie,that%2C%20despite%20women’s%20mass%20entry.
“Women in the Work Force During World War II.” National Archives and Records Administration, 29 May 2025, www.archives.gov/education/lessons/wwii-women.html.
“Women and Work.” History Link, American Experience, www.historylink.org/Content/education/downloads/C21curriculum_Unit5/C21curriculum_Unit5%20resources/Unit5_READINGS_WomenandWorkAfterWWII.pdf.
“World War II: 1939-1945.” Women in Work, Striking Women, www.striking- women.org/module/women-and-work/world-war-ii-1939-1945.