The Second World War: A Critical Turning Point

‘Similarly, women among other groups gained recognition as integral figures in society, from their noteworthy contributions to the war effort. Before the war, very few women were part of the workforce; they remained at home, caring for children and managing the household. Even though they gained their right to vote after the First World War and filled the occupations of men who were fighting overseas, as soon as the war ended, the roles of men and women in society remained unchanged. In contrast, the Second World War led to their entrance into the workforce from significant contributions of women both on the home front and overseas. The unprecedented involvement in the war effort in Europe through the Women’s Division of the Royal Canadian Air Force, the Canadian Women’s Army Corps, and the Women’s Royal Canadian Naval Service, opened the doors to the workforce. In recognition of women’s radical desires to fill typically male positions, these profound organizations provided women with the essential empowering skills to combat the gender role restrictions they faced on the home front, post-war. As the war came to an end, centuries of gender role inequity were distinctly separated from the emergence of social justice and the 1960 women’s rights movements. Although women previously began to defend their rights and freedoms, the Second World War was the turning point that redefined the role of women and sparked a plethora of changes in its wake.’