Women in Buddhism “The men may have started this war, but the women are running it.” In the beginning of the war, around 1941, most American women lived as their mothers previously had. Women were supposed to have jobs just until they were married and those who did work after they were married or were mothers were regarded with a sense of pity and scorn from society. In a pre-war poll, 82 percent of Americans believed a wife should not work if her husband did. A majority of Americans believed there should have been a law to prohibit it since rural and city women, alike spent about 50 hours a week on household chores alone. When the war began it became apparent that more workers were needed. However, women were among …show more content…
By 1943, housewife workers outnumbered single workers for the first time in history.Throughout the war women went to work in shipyards, aircraft plants and other assembly lines. They also loaded shells, operated cranes, painted ships. Many of them became welders, bus drivers, train conductors, mechanics, bellhops, nurses and day-care providers. Women comprised a third of the workers in aircraft plants and about 10 percent of the workers at the shipyards and steel mills were women. Although most war work was in factories, many women found work elsewhere. Many became secretaries and clerks in Washington D.C. and more than 200,000 women entered the special branches of the military. Such branches include Women’s Army Corp (WAC), Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service (WAVES), and Women’s Auxiliary Ferrying Squadron (WAFS). These military positions allowed women to take over tasks for soldiers so they could be free to go to combat. Although women participated in jobs extremely similar to men, they were not treated equally. For the long hour’s women put in, their salaries averaged only 60 percent of men’s. However, the greatest struggle for American women throughout the war was not simply the issue of money. The working life was difficult for these women. They would work eight to ten hours, often on a night or overnight
“During the war about half of American women worked outside of their homes,”( Hughes 2). The number of working women rose from fourteen point six million in nineteen forty one to nineteen point four million in nineteen forty four. “Women were not just motivated by wages or patriotism; but buy the feeling of independence that they gained from the work,” (Hughes 2). Without women laborers the US economy would have never been able to produce military hardware to be successful in the war. Even though women played a huge role in the work force during the World War II, they also played an even bigger role in the war itself. Women played several different roles in the actual war. “A few of women’s roles in the actual war of World War II would be army nurses, spies, pilots and entertainers,” (Scott3). Women served as army nurses during World War 11, there were than seven thousand active nurses on duty when the United States entered the war. “Women also served as pilots, on September tenth nineteen forty two, Nancy Harkness Love, with the support of th U.S. Air Transport Command, organized twenty five women pilots into the Women’s Auxiliary Ferrying Squadron (W.A.F.S),” (Scott3). Women pilots were used to serve non- combat flights, to free the men for combat flights. “Women spies of the World WarII , they were often successful and unsuspected since people suspected women that women’s properly roles were solely domestic,” (Scott3). Lastly
The wartime jobs produced lasting careers and life-style changes for women. Some of the jobs they did were telephone operators, factory workers, seamstresses, and physicians. Most of the women that were hired for these jobs were young and unmarried because they had fewer obligations to attend. This meant, they could work long hours with little pay since they did not have a family to provide for. It was
Women wanted to be able to do more in the war. They tried to find ways to work
Women had different perspectives during World War 2. Many served in different branches of armed forces. Some labored in war productions plants. Most women stayed at home and had other responsibilities to raise children, balance check books, and some labored in war-related office jobs, while the men went to war. In addition to factory work and other front jobs about 350,000 women joined the Armed services, serving at home and abroad. “Rosie the Riveter,” later became a popular propaganda for women. While women worked in a variety of positions closed to them the industry saw the greatest increase in female’s workers. More than 310,000 women worked in the U.S. aircraft industry in 1943,
During the 1940's wartime production required more factory workers. With the majority of males being enlisted into the military and the work force depleted, minorities and women found many opportunities during the war. "For most, involvement became an adventure, a way that every citizen could feel he or she was making an important contribution to the war effort"(Duis, 20). While most women were married, they worked to keep themselves busy while the males were off at war. "Prior to the war only about one fourth of women worked outside of the home" (Bard, 173). "By 1945, women made up 36% of the nation's total workforce" (Schultz). After the war, women were advised to leave work and continue their more traditional role of wife and mother. African Americans improved their economical standing by accepting war industry positions and through their migration from the south; some became professionals and skilled workers, yet still facing harsh discrimination. There was a high commitment of immigrant workers to the war effort that participated heavily in war bond and scrap metal collection drives. Like African Americans, these immigrants were also subjected to racial prejudice. But overall, "America enjoyed full employment and a higher standard of living"
During World War I (1914-1918) a massive number of women joined the armed forces in hopes of being able to serve their country and those in need. There was a high demand for nurses to attend injured soldiers, and as a result from that women wanted to join the armed forces knowing that while the men were treated for their injuries they too could help out their country if permitted. Furthermore, women had to take on the jobs left by all of the men that went to war. Opening the possibilities of women to keep working even after the war is over, creating the employment rate to go higher. Some women had to go back to what they were doing before but a majority of women were able to keep working alongside men. Their wage was a lot less than men but
Before the war, women had limited employment options. During 1942, women support the was by working in the factory. Also they got the same job opportunities as men. "Women are welders discuss the production of motor mounts and welded parts in a welding booth at the Inglewood, Calif., plant of North American Aviation, Inc." 1942. National Archives and Records Administration”. Women made better money than ever before and performed important work for the war effort. They got a chance to work with
During the war more than six million women joined the workforce. In August of 1943 Newsweek Magazine reported: “They [women] are in the shipyards, lumber mills, steel mills, foundries. They are welders, electricians, mechanics, and even boiler makers. They operate street cars, buses, cranes, and tractors. Women engineers are working in the drafting rooms and women physicists and chemists in the great industrial laboratories.”
As the men left their factory jobs to go fight, women had to step up to produce the heavy machinery needed for the war and at home to keep the country running. Women quickly picked up male dominated trades such as "welding, riveting and engine repair" (May, 1998, p. 25). Women were essential for the production and supply of goods to the troops fighting abroad. "More than 310,000 woman in the United States aircraft industry in 1943" (History). Women were encouraged to step up and take on male roles in the work place were all conceited as Riveters. Having women working in mostly male dominated jobs provide new perspective . Not having worked in offices and factories before. women were not bound by the conventional procedures. Women were always being questioned on the way things were being done. Because most of the position that women occupied were tempera some "felt feer to introduce innovation" (Wise, 1994, p. 130). Women brought a cheerfulness to the workplace that added a new element that never use to
men had no choice but to serve in the First World War, women began to fill the jobs left empty. Over time the acceptance of women in jobs began to grow. Working expanded the responsibility women had in society, and over time more professional opportunities open for women. Though they faced pay and promotion discrimination, the c women were glad to be able to work outside of their homes Because of the amount of injuries during the war, several women were needed as nurses; however, most
WWI began on July 28th, 1914. This war was between the allies which included Britain, Russia, France, Italy and the United States and the Central Powers which were Germany, Austria, Ottoman Empire and Bulgaria. In the beginning of the war when men were beginning to get drafted there were too many job vacancies. Many companies were facing a significant loss of employees due to the fact that men held most of the jobs because the women were at home performing their domestic duties. Many women had a love hate relationship with the war, they were upset because many of their husbands were going to fight in the war, but many looked at it as an opportunity to be independent and get real jobs of their own. It was a lot easier for a woman to get a job now, many filled in positions in munitions factories and made the necessary materials needed in the war, while others took jobs as railway guards, police officers, postal works, etc. The working conditions that many women faced in the munitions factories were horrendous, and they weren’t provided with any protection gear and many fatalities occurred. “These women risked their lives working with poisonous substances without adequate protective clothing or the required safety measures. Around 400 women died from overexposure to TNT during WWI.”1 During WWI the rate of women’s employment increased 23.6%, but they were still facing inequality when it came to fair pay. Employers didn’t see women as strong workers so they were paid
"About twenty thousand women worked for the military" (Bryant). The female community helped their fellow clothes by providing the soldiers with a warm meal, mending clothes, and provided medical attention to any hurt or ill soldier. This meant that men were not the only ones risking their lives in war. " An estimated 348 lost their lives. Some were killed in air raids and artillery bombardments. Others died or were left debilitated by the diseases and disorders bred by the filthy and worse-than-primitive conditions along the western front" (Bryant). Also, "They worked long hours in factories making guns and ammunition, some worked in government jobs as clerks and managers" (Bryant). Through times of war, women had to take on new challenging roles to be able to help their country and provide for their families. The female workforce had to replace men in all fields of work. "They also replaced men as police officers, mechanics, train conductors and even barbers" (Bryant). The new female working class obtained many useful skills and craved this knowledge even after the end of the World War
Women went from being the homemakers and primary child-rearing mothers prior to World War II to becoming factory workers during the height of the war, then once the war ended and the men returned they were expected to return to house wife duties with little to no issues. With the return of men from the war, the United States Government established the “Servicemen’s Readjustment Act of 1944” (Vandenberg-Daves 100) to help those men obtain a college education and become the working-class population. Women saw the opportunity to expand upon their skills learned during wartime operations by getting out of the house; continue with secondary education, and become more financially stable and less dependent on a husband to provide for them and their
accountable for caring for all the kids and old people. Many of the women were involved with voluntary work, either in industry or in voluntary organizations (Howie, 2010). Women were allowed to work 16 hours a day and perform men’s duties. However, women were paid less than men. Besides, they were discriminated in the workplace. Thus, women played an important role in the war effort, although their position in society was still less valuable, comparing with men’s position (Howie, 2010; Gillis & Hollows,
Women in Buddhism The role of women in religion, especially Eastern religions, is a strange one. Western religions are fairly straightforward about a women's place. For example, most Western religions (excluding the Roman Catholic Church) allow women in leadership roles within the religious community. Judaism allows women rabbis, most Christian religions allow women ministers, and even Islam, which does not allow women mullah, have had many influential female sufi's throughout Islamic history.