Women in Virginia Put to Work
As a majority of men left home to fight in the war, leaving women to inherit the role of working wartime jobs and supporting the war effort along the home front. Similar to the many focuses used in propaganda, women were another target of the OWI to influence and encourage to help during trying times where resources and people were scarce. Women would go on to prove that they were more than an acceptable substitute in the nation’s workforce and a reliable source in influencing and spreading propaganda.
The federal government, military bases, and ports specifically, hired women for their expertise to assist in war time tasks. Among those tasks was code-breaking work, calculating the trajectory of naval rifles, and configuring designs for the country’s aircraft manufacturers. Many of whom were women mathematicians from Virginia, being sent off to Washington, Arlington, and Hampton, hot spots for war jobs.[1] Positions such as these were beginning to be filled with women yearning for the opportunity to work, outside of the social norms and contribute to the war effort. In a Washington Post exert, Edna Robb described working as an admirable duty, “She looks at her job as something unique, and can’t see why other women with a sense of adventure or love for people wouldn’t find running a street car fun, as well as essential to the war effort”.[2] The spirit and enthusiasm among women in not only Virginia but throughout the country wanting to be on production lines, factories, foundries, etc. showed how the war effort on the home front was highly influenced by propaganda and those who wanted to spread awareness.
The success of women taking over jobs and volunteering their expertise inside Virginia was present in the Virginia Red Cross. 35, 867 Women of Virginia had contributed their time and effort to the American Red cross, working a collective total of 824,023 hours in the fiscal year of 15 months.[3] This more than shows that women were more than inclined to do their share for the war effort, working and volunteering were the most a woman was permitted to do, but starting committees and special interest groups for their communities exceeded their limitations for the war effort.
Among committees that were started, was the Women at War Week, considered to be the largest force of women in the country contributing to the war effort. Their influence within the country inspired a large number of women to do their part and begin committees of their own. The reputation of the Women at War Week gained the attention of former first lady Elanor Roosevelt restating the purpose and goal of the group and how all women should treat and handle the war on the home front.[4] The Women at War Committee worked across the country, maintaining, or assisting certain regions in continuing the war effort by holding festivals or shows for people to buy war bonds and stamps. Inside Virginia, the Women at War Committee sponsored a USO Army camp show in Fairfax County where admission to the show was the purchase of a one-dollar war stamp for adults and a fifty-cent war stamp for children[5], ensuring that all aspects of the show was for the purchasing of bonds.
The impact women had made in the country, far exceeded any expectations that were made when the dependence on women maintaining the country’s work force was both encouraged and influenced through the sue of propaganda. Groups like the Women at War Committee made the women’s contribution to the overall war effort possible and admirable. Once the war had concluded and the men had returned home to re-claim their positions in the workforce, women were relieved of their duties but had begun a new movement for women to move outside their role in society for their efforts.
[1] Tarter, Brent. "Two World Wars and the Great Depression", Virginians and Their Histories, Pg. 377.
[2] Reynolds, Genevieve, “Women Want Office Work; Other Vital Jobs Go Begging”, The Washington Post (1923-1954). Jun 25, 1943:1.
[3] “Red Cross Statistics Given”, The Virginia Star, Library of Virginia: Virginia Chronicle, January 20, 1944.
[4] “Record War Bond Sales Is Goal Of Women At War Week Nov. 22”, The Highland Recorder, Library of Virginia: Virginia Chronicle, November 13, 1942
[5] “Women At War Committee to Sponsor Army Camp Show”, The Washington Post (1923-1954), Nov 23, 1942.
"Women at War — Janey", The Highland Recorder, Library of Virginia: Virginia Chronicle, Novemeber 20, 1942