World War 2 was fought from 1939 to 1945 in Europe and during much of the 1930s and 1940s in Asia. It was not till the 3rd of September 1939 when Prime Minister Robert Gordon Menzies broadcast on every national and commercial radio station in Australia the beginning of Australia 's involvement in the War. Many men and women contributed to the war effort, the men going to fight in other countries, while the women like in the first world war stayed in Australia knitting socks and baking cookies to post to their loved ones fighting. But unlike the first war, women 's involvement grew during the war grew with more jobs being available, allowing them to break through the social stereotype and show the men that women are able to achieve anything men can do. Propaganda used to encourage women to take part in the war effort used words such as Independent and capable to describe women, thus challenging the original idea of women in Australian society.
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Although WWII helped to encourage the growth of ideas about gender equality in Australia, many women were happy to return to their pre-war lifestyle and there was significant progress on this front until the 1960 's feminist revolution. Throughout the duration of World War 2 Australian women were faced with a range of new opportunities which led to a change in social opinion after the war had finished. During WW2 women were encouraged to take on the roles of men and join workforces to support the war effort, thus creating opportunities for the women of Australia to show everyone that women are able to do anything men can do. Some examples of the types of jobs that women began to undertake were truck and ambulance drivers, wireless telegraphers, aircraft ground staff and signallers (Delany, 2012 ). There were also many forces established for women during the time of WW1 these forces being Women 's Auxiliary Australian Air Force, Australian Women’s Army service and Women 's Royal Australian Naval service. Although these forces were set up women were still not prohibited to to undertake roles that involved any form of combat and they were also not allowed to leave Australian unless being sent to nurse the soldiers(Robertson, 1984). Some women were sent away from their homes in the city to go work in agricultural jobs on the farm ploughing, harvesting, milking cows and more. Many women were excited to be partaking in these jobs. Hilda Harrington a signals operator joined the war effort when she was 22 in 1943 recalls how, "I felt excited to think I was doing something important. We were replacing men so they could go to the front line."(Harrington,1943). Propaganda was utilized to encourage women into participating in these jobs as they were told that their efforts in the war would encourage the men to go fight for Australia. The portrayal of females as strong, independent and capable in enlistment propaganda challenged existing ideas about women in Australian society. Women were continuously being encouraged to participate in the war effort and propaganda was used as a means of convincing women that they are smart enough to take over the jobs that men left behind. Numerous propaganda posters would say things …show more content…
It was on August 1945 when the war had ended, soldiers were returning home and everyone was celebrating their return. Due to the return of the men, the women who had taken over these men’s jobs were being forced to leave their current job in order for the men to take them back. Controllers of the women’s services had been told as early as 1944 ‘that the war was de-escalating’ and that women should be given discharge as their service were not essential anymore (Adam-Smith,1984). Women were being discharged at a high rate of 150 a day, this later on rose to 190 a day by mid 1945. To contrary belief, many of these women were happy to return to their domestic lifestyle as by leaving this pre-war lifestyle to help in the war effort they had to postpone things such as marriage and having kids. However, even after Australian women returned pre-war lifestyle their contribution to WWII made to the later feminist
Although WWII helped to encourage the growth of ideas about gender equality in Australia, many women were happy to return to their pre-war lifestyle and there was significant progress on this front until the 1960 's feminist revolution. Throughout the duration of World War 2 Australian women were faced with a range of new opportunities which led to a change in social opinion after the war had finished. During WW2 women were encouraged to take on the roles of men and join workforces to support the war effort, thus creating opportunities for the women of Australia to show everyone that women are able to do anything men can do. Some examples of the types of jobs that women began to undertake were truck and ambulance drivers, wireless telegraphers, aircraft ground staff and signallers (Delany, 2012 ). There were also many forces established for women during the time of WW1 these forces being Women 's Auxiliary Australian Air Force, Australian Women’s Army service and Women 's Royal Australian Naval service. Although these forces were set up women were still not prohibited to to undertake roles that involved any form of combat and they were also not allowed to leave Australian unless being sent to nurse the soldiers(Robertson, 1984). Some women were sent away from their homes in the city to go work in agricultural jobs on the farm ploughing, harvesting, milking cows and more. Many women were excited to be partaking in these jobs. Hilda Harrington a signals operator joined the war effort when she was 22 in 1943 recalls how, "I felt excited to think I was doing something important. We were replacing men so they could go to the front line."(Harrington,1943). Propaganda was utilized to encourage women into participating in these jobs as they were told that their efforts in the war would encourage the men to go fight for Australia. The portrayal of females as strong, independent and capable in enlistment propaganda challenged existing ideas about women in Australian society. Women were continuously being encouraged to participate in the war effort and propaganda was used as a means of convincing women that they are smart enough to take over the jobs that men left behind. Numerous propaganda posters would say things …show more content…
It was on August 1945 when the war had ended, soldiers were returning home and everyone was celebrating their return. Due to the return of the men, the women who had taken over these men’s jobs were being forced to leave their current job in order for the men to take them back. Controllers of the women’s services had been told as early as 1944 ‘that the war was de-escalating’ and that women should be given discharge as their service were not essential anymore (Adam-Smith,1984). Women were being discharged at a high rate of 150 a day, this later on rose to 190 a day by mid 1945. To contrary belief, many of these women were happy to return to their domestic lifestyle as by leaving this pre-war lifestyle to help in the war effort they had to postpone things such as marriage and having kids. However, even after Australian women returned pre-war lifestyle their contribution to WWII made to the later feminist