Some women chose to work during the war purely for the income, particularly those whose husbands had been called up for service, as the allowance given to wives of servicemen was not enough to support a family.

We will start talking about the situation in two countries: the United Kingdom and the United States.

The USA

The United States was in massive need of supplies when it entered World War Two in 1942. The men who had formally held factory jobs were drafted into the military leaving the factory jobs open. So, the government encouraged women to help the war movement by taking the factory jobs the men used to hold. Many women were conscripted to do war work, but they were free to do it.

Advertising was so strong in the USA that the famous character named Rosie the riveter was created. Rosie was a character portraying a patriotic woman. It appears as a beautiful and glamorous young woman, a brave worker who strives for the good of her country and its soldiers.

There were agreements made between the government and the unions concerning women working. For instance, when the men came back from the war and wanted their Jobs, women would leave them.

Women in general were not as strong as men. but with the right equipment adjusted to their capabilities they could do just about the same work. The employment therefore required all the necessary health and safety precautions. For instance, they must be very careful not to wear anything that may cause injury by catching in the machinery.

They had to wear an overall and to tie their hair back. They were also advised on the proper position at work in order to work efficiently and safely. They also should have healthy eating habits in order to have enough energy to work.

In 1943 female workers from the Rolls Royce Factory in Glasgow went on strike demanding higher wages. Protesters of the strike threw rotten tomatoes and eggs at the workers on strike. They stopped, of course, when they found out how poorly the women were actually being paid.

The profile of the woman who worked in factories in the second world war was very similar: women who had the opportunity to earn money because the demand for workers was high, but on the other hand, had some disadvantages: security measures were poor, the work places were uncomfortable, cold, noisy, sometimes they were far away from their homes (although the big companies were interested in locating themselves near where there were workers, the small ones were located in garages, stables ...). Another disadvantage was that women were more exposed in the streets and jobs, and they could suffer sexual abuse, which in a certain way was justified by society. Sometime you could har “Mind you, our boys could be just as bad” or "Well, you know, I might be dead tomorrow". There were illegitimate children during the war, but it was kept quiet.

When the war ended, most female were laid off and had to go back to their families and homes. “During the war we were needed; afterwards it was different”, said Helen, one of the contributors to the book What Did You Do In The War, Mum? Also, some women were allowed to continue working in much lower paying female jobs.

If you search on the Internet you can find women's testimonies about the different jobs they did in the factories. For example:

“I was doing wheels for trolley tracks, turning them on a lathe, in a big workshop. It was not very safe, because there was a belt above you which worked the machine and that should have had to guard on it, but it never did”. (Lisa H)

“I got working welding cables for batteries in the I.T.T. Factory in Footscracy near Sidcup. In my case, it was a very bright and spacious room where we worked, not like a factory at all. It was a very clean job and I did not need special clothes or anything”. (Mr. Jones).

“I went to a training centre in Surrey” but I used to listen since the war started “You are the girl; you must stay at home with your mother”. (Margaret K).