Differences Of Women During WWII

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Women Who Made a Difference January 9, 2012 World War II came after the women’s right to vote, which was a major accomplishment for women. But when the war started in 1941, the women in the military were nurses. WWII opened up opportunities for women that had never been available before. As the men were called up for duty, the women was left behind to care for families (Beasley, 2002), which meant they had to work and provide for their family. Most jobs were deemed a “man jobs”, but employers had to hire women to replace the men who went to serve. This was the turning point for many women, and the roll they played in society. Women trudged forward and stood beside their man, their country, to take part in the war,…show more content…
They were known as prostitutes and promiscuous girls. These women were blamed for the spread of venereal disease. True, women worked in all ways during war time, but not always on the base, or in the hospitals, or even in the skies. Magazine articles were written about women that did have “loose morals”. Articles appeared in magazines such as Life, Look, Readers Digest, and American Mercury, articles were even published in “The American Journal of Public Health”. Women became metaphors of venereal disease and dangerous sexuality (Hegarty, 1998). These woman became known as, “Khaki Wackies”, “Victory Girls”, and “Good Time Charlottes”. From all walks of life these women appeared. It wasn’t just the “loose” girls, there were many who felt they were doing their patriotic duty by performing sexual acts with the military men. Throughout history, prostitution has been around, but during war time even the government got involved with the need for control of it. Lives of women were lost at this time in history, but it wasn’t just the battlefield that took their lives. Diseases
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