Women in World War II England: Roles, Work, and Change

Introduction: Women's Social Position Before the War

Throughout much of western history, women have been placed in positions of subservience and submission to men. For many women in England, the ultimate goal in life was to marry well and become a mother, carrying on the paternal name and bloodline. Women who were not born into advantageous circumstances were destined to lives of servitude compounded by this same marginalization. Whatever her social class, a woman was always considered lesser than her male counterpart. The only time these societal impositions on women's roles were seriously challenged was during a time of war.

Particularly during the Second World War, women were called upon to fill the positions vacated by their men. During that era, an estimated five million women in England fulfilled some role in assisting with the British war effort, either at home or abroad. Women of wartime England were tasked with taking up formerly masculine positions both in the workplace and within the home. This would lead to a permanent change in women's social position following the war, as women — now accustomed to a degree of freedom and autonomy — were told to return to their separate domestic spheres.

Women Enter the Wartime Workforce

Initially, the British government did not want the nation's women getting involved in the war, either through enlistment or by working in factories. It was believed that women's place was in the home, and that any deviation from this position would lead directly to a breakdown of society as it was known. According to sources, the government also feared that "by having women in the workplace, home and family life would suffer, children would be neglected, homes would not be looked after and mealtimes would find nothing made for husbands in reserved occupations and family life would be a shambles." Eventually, it became evident that there would not be enough men to both fight the war and work in the factories. The only way to maintain enough recruits and enough materials to continue fighting was to enlist women in formerly masculine roles.

Everyone is familiar with the iconic image of "Rosie the Riveter." This symbol represented the women who left their homes and their daily lives of wifehood and motherhood in order to become part of the workforce, performing jobs that would help the country win the war. By 1943, so many available men had gone into the military that women who were not enlisted were called upon to enter the factories. These positions were necessary because the factories produced everything the military required, including transportation vehicles, uniforms, and supplies. Some women who entered the factories had never worked outside the home before. They had to be taught how to navigate society without the psychological or financial support of a man (Hastings). The prevailing norm was for women to grow up, marry, and have children — that was considered the ultimate purpose of their existence. Many women went directly from their parents' house to their husband's house without having done a single day's work outside the home.

The wartime mobilization of women into industry represented a dramatic departure from everything British society had previously defined as appropriate female behavior. Women were not merely filling time while men were away; they were performing skilled labor essential to the survival of the nation.

Wage Discrimination and Labor Resistance

Even though these women were absolutely necessary to the war effort, they were still heavily underpaid as a result of the sexism inherent in the society. Women who were highly skilled at their jobs were traditionally paid less than their unskilled male counterparts. So great was the discrepancy in wages that one group of women went on strike. A compromise was eventually reached when factory owners agreed to pay the women the wages of unskilled male workers, even though the women were demonstrably more productive. This concession, though limited, represented a small but significant acknowledgment of women's contributions to industrial labor.