Canadian Women’s Contribution to the war effort /5 The contribution of Canadian women during WW1 is undisputed in having massive impact on societal perceptions of women. While men were conscripted to fight across the sea, women were left to fill the holes in the economy and take up jobs so as to keep workplaces running smoothly. Before the war, women were not able to vote, own land, receive extensive education, or take opportunities that arose in the workplace. But, as the war progressed, more and more women were able to go overseas to serve primarily as nurses. Over 80,000 volunteered to serve as nursing assistants in Voluntary Aid Detachments (VAD), and Canadian nurses were able to hold the same ranking as officers in the Allied forces. …show more content…
When the war broke out and men left to serve, many jobs were left unfulfilled, and it became the job of the woman to take up work in order to support their husbands across the sea. Citizens were expected to provide maximum effort, and many women went into munitions work, so as to directly impact the war with their help. As a political move, women were temporarily given the right to vote, provided that they had direct family serving in the war. This was the War Time Elections Act, and its goal was to gain political favour, as well as votes, during the conscription crisis. The Canadian government saw that the wives and mothers of soldiers were most likely to support conscription. Though women were able to see some growth in the amount of equality they received, the hope for a truly equal society diminished somewhat as the men started to return from war. Women saw some of these liberties being taken away. Emboldened by the taste of freedom and of free will, the suffrage movement began to change the attitude towards the traditional “Motherly” roles that women were expected to fill. Many women fought to, and succeeded in, keeping their jobs, and over 1.2 million women had permanent jobs,as opposed to the measly 600 thousand before the war. The many female led organizations of this time were directly linked to the suffrage movement, and the fight for equal rights became a hotly discussed and controversial
World War 1 played a crucial role in aiding the movement for female equality in Canada, however, it also hindered it by contributing to the enforcement of gender roles in the workplace. Not one single event will end the constant battle women must endure in all aspects of life, though certain opportunities, such as the job opportunities received during the war, most certainly help women in the fighting of said battle. When numerous jobs were left open by men who were called to the front lines of the war, women were finally presented with the opportunity to work outside of their homes for the first time and provide for their families. Next, generous amounts of awareness of social change were brought to light for women’s contributions throughout
However, many women wanted to be more involved in the war effort then by just taking up odd jobs, they wanted to enlist and give their services to the United States Armed Forces. American women's
This essay is about how Women’s role has changed during World War II. Women were encouraged by the government to enlist in the Army as nurses or as workers since most men were overseas and this created new opportunities for women. In this essay we’ll discuss about three events, women’s participation in military services, salary increase and why nurses were permitted overseas. Australian women had many responsibilities during World War 2.
During WW2 Australian women at the home front played a significant role in not only supporting the Australian troops serving overseas but also prominently they maintained, developed and supported the ongoing economic development of our country. Women during WW2 took on many important roles that without their contribution, Australia would have lost the war. Most women were eager of the new employment opportunities that were created while the males served fighting overseas. They saw the opportunity as learning skills for the future, receiving a regular wage and becoming more independent. Australian women rose to the challenge of war by volunteering their services when manpower was limited and all Australians were needed to help sustain a functioning war economy.
Women in the Second World War participated in the war effort by joining the women’s uniformed services. The Canadian women’s Army Corps was approved on the 13th August 1941 to enlist thousands of women in support roles for the military forces.¹ The CWAC, Canadian Women’s Army Corps largely operated in Canada, as a corps within the active militia of Canada, but by 1944, they were assigned to clerical and support duties in war regions. Several thousands were sent to support Canadian forces in Britain, Italy and northeast Europe. The CWAC made up to 2.8% of the total Canadian Army in 1945.² The CWAC is recognized as great contribution that women played in the success of the Allied victory in World War II.
During the war, there was a drastic decrease on supplies and soldiers for the war effort. Men, being sent to war by conscription, could no longer work or support Canada. Women saw these needs and
From 1914-1918, Canada was in a state of Total War. Women and minorities contributed to the war effort on the homefront by making clubs for themselves, custom making quilts, bandages, and clothes for overseas, worked traditional male jobs, donated land, working in the red cross, and organizing festivals. Every citizen of Canada was committed to giving back to the war effort. Even at home and overseas, the military added to the country being in Total War in the air and the sea; they gave it their all no matter where they were fighting. The government’s power in Canada created even a larger condition of Total War by the restrictions introduced and the amount of money spent/donated in WWI.
They were given a minimum wage, regulated work hours, and the ability to unionize. There were stricter labor laws on age limits and the health conditions of the work environment. Women were finally given the right to vote in 1920 with the passing of the 19th Amendment but it was not without some resistance. Women during the War were attempting to help out in any way possible selling war bonds, nursing in Europe, clerical work, and war production jobs. They did this in hope of gaining their freedom to vote.
Many women took on the jobs and roles of the men, who had gone to fight in the war. Canada needed women to help support the war effort by working at home, working men’s jobs, and some enlisting in the war building parts for ships and aircraft and manufactured ammunition. “Out of a total Canadian population of 11 million people, only about 600,000 Canadian women held permanent jobs when the war started. During the war, their numbers doubled to 1,200,000” (Veterans.gc.ca). Women also helped on the Homefront by knitting scarves, socks, and mitts for the men who enlisted.
Many Japanese Canadian Women stayed loyal to Canada during the war, however they were disappointed that their government failed to consider them as Canadians and betrayed them and sold their properties. Many others got disconnected from they appearance because they were Canadian on the inside and Japanese on the out side. Many were sexually abused by RCMP guards. Many had to work twice as hard so they can feed their family in the absence of their men. Many got in to family conflict and breakups, because the picture of silent Japanese women was gone in Japanese Canadian women and they spoke up for themselves.
Canada has been involved in various wars from the beginning of its colonial history. Just as the nature of these wars has changed over time, so too has their effect on Canadian women. Women have actively participated in war, from nursing and munitions manufacturing during the First and Second World Wars to the increasing involvement of Canadian women in the military. While some women have been traumatized profoundly by Canada’s wars, others have benefitted from them. Women have often assumed traditionally male work during wartime.
The war had a great impact on women, as the opportunity to fill jobs originally
Without the help of women in the labour force, Canada would not have been able to support their troops with a lot of necessary equipment for the war, which included ammunition, guns, and planes. The help of women in the civilian paid labour force was another essential contribution to
They served in a range of different countries including Britain, India, France, Belgium, the Mediterranean and the Middle East. Women serving as nurses were often motivated by “a sense of duty, a close connection to loved ones, serving overseas or a desire to have an adventure”. (Great War Nurses, n.d.) Women’s roles as nurses during World War One were highly significant as they helped the wounded and sick. Although they were so important they did not have the amount of appreciation than the soldiers did fighting.
During World War II, Woman’s were assembled for duty in the Canadian Armed Forces, for the first time. The armed force was shy of men in war services and administration, which lead the Canadian government to choose and declare on August 13, 1941 to give woman’s the privilege to take an interest in war utility. 50,000 women were enlisted and more than half provided service in the Canadian Army. Most were doled out occupations including customary female work, for example, cooking, clothing and administrative obligations, also woman had pioneer roles in the mechanized and specialized fields. The Canadian Women 's Army Corps (CWAC) performed fundamental administrations, both at home and abroad, that achieved Allied victory.