The Weaker Sex: Gender Discrimination in World War II
“[G]ender subordination and patriarchy are the oldest of oppressions” (Shiva 184). Over the years, women have been oppressed, discriminated against, and suppressed by their male counterparts. It took years for women to gain any type of rights across the globe and women are still struggling for gender equality today. We live in a patriarchal society and most societies in the present and the past are also patriarchal, as a consequence of this, women are lower on the proverbial totem pole. However; an important time in history is during World War II when women, for the first time in Western history, were allowed to join the military on a large scale. Unlike during World War I, women in World …show more content…
Mothers, singers, noblewomen, poor women, all joined the military during this time to either become pilots or radio operators or took on other various roles to support the war effort (Cornelsen 116). These are women who, under normal circumstances, would not have met in their daily lives came together for a single cause. Women prior to this time had rather rigid roles in society, while they had jobs outside of the home at this time they were still expected to be mothers, child-bearers, and housewives (Lockhart & Pergrande 156). Just by joining the military (the air force particularly) these women broke many gender roles that were imposed upon them at the time but even in the military they faced much discrimination just for being …show more content…
Arnold (Mardo) in regards to the creation of the WASP (Women Airforce Service Pilots). The WASP, however, important they were to the military cause, underwent several cases of discrimination and prejudice. Firstly, they could not be fighter pilots and could only hold civilian pilot’s license. However, most importantly, they could not participate in active combat. They could, however; transport, fly drop offs, perform aircraft maintenance, radar, as well as perform wireless telephonic and telegraphic operation (Younghusband). Secondly, different airfields had different forms of bias, in Michigan, men showed negative, cold, and unfriendly attitudes towards women. “Males often had a difficult time accepting that these women were fit to pilot the same places that they flew in the war” (Cornelson 114) and women were restricted to fly planes that were undesirable and often uncomfortable to fly. In Texas, men refused to fly with women after an incident with a WASP where she was killed in an aviation accident. In North Carolina, where the discrimination was the worst; there were suspicions of sabotage as they had found traces of sugar in one of the engines of a plane two women who had recently crashed, there was no further investigation on the matter (114). However; the commander, Major Stephenson, in North Carolina made
“[G]ender subordination and patriarchy are the oldest of oppressions” (Shiva 184). Over the years, women have been oppressed, discriminated against, and suppressed by their male counterparts. It took years for women to gain any type of rights across the globe and women are still struggling for gender equality today. We live in a patriarchal society and most societies in the present and the past are also patriarchal, as a consequence of this, women are lower on the proverbial totem pole. However; an important time in history is during World War II when women, for the first time in Western history, were allowed to join the military on a large scale. Unlike during World War I, women in World …show more content…
Mothers, singers, noblewomen, poor women, all joined the military during this time to either become pilots or radio operators or took on other various roles to support the war effort (Cornelsen 116). These are women who, under normal circumstances, would not have met in their daily lives came together for a single cause. Women prior to this time had rather rigid roles in society, while they had jobs outside of the home at this time they were still expected to be mothers, child-bearers, and housewives (Lockhart & Pergrande 156). Just by joining the military (the air force particularly) these women broke many gender roles that were imposed upon them at the time but even in the military they faced much discrimination just for being …show more content…
Arnold (Mardo) in regards to the creation of the WASP (Women Airforce Service Pilots). The WASP, however, important they were to the military cause, underwent several cases of discrimination and prejudice. Firstly, they could not be fighter pilots and could only hold civilian pilot’s license. However, most importantly, they could not participate in active combat. They could, however; transport, fly drop offs, perform aircraft maintenance, radar, as well as perform wireless telephonic and telegraphic operation (Younghusband). Secondly, different airfields had different forms of bias, in Michigan, men showed negative, cold, and unfriendly attitudes towards women. “Males often had a difficult time accepting that these women were fit to pilot the same places that they flew in the war” (Cornelson 114) and women were restricted to fly planes that were undesirable and often uncomfortable to fly. In Texas, men refused to fly with women after an incident with a WASP where she was killed in an aviation accident. In North Carolina, where the discrimination was the worst; there were suspicions of sabotage as they had found traces of sugar in one of the engines of a plane two women who had recently crashed, there was no further investigation on the matter (114). However; the commander, Major Stephenson, in North Carolina made