It was difficult for women to work as well as looking after their home and family because they worked very long hours and the shops were closed when they got home from work. Women joined trade unions for the first time and they even went on strike for better pay and conditions, which resulted in them receiving increased pay. They eventually earned more than the men had received for the same job before the war.
While working outside the home they were also responsible for their usual domestic duties and on the whole they surprised everybody, including themselves, at just how resourceful and successful they were.
For some women the war brought on greater independence, the opportunity to train for skilled jobs and take pride in what they did. Women without family responsibilities, now away from home for the first time had more freedom. Some women were certainly very glad to escape from boring, poorly paid ‘female’ jobs.
Thousands of maids, cooks and nannies were redirected to war work and often found that their earnings tripled. Many young women who would never otherwise have had the chance to leave home until they married revelled in their new found freedom and independence.
The national press praised women for their incredible effort and as they gained the respect of the nation their confidence was boosted and this added confidence enabled them to carry on and show the world that they were an equal match to men.
Before the war suicide amongst women was quite high but during the war this dropped dramatically. It is thought that because women felt that they had more choice and purpose to their lives they were happier and less prone to depressive illness.
Women now found a new independence which they had never known before. They were able to make friends and meet people who they would never have come into contact with before the war. They had the opportunity to travel and to work away from home and move away from their parents and families, this brought them into contact with a very wide range of people from different backgrounds to their own.
From 1945 when men began arriving home after the war women’s lives were disrupted again. The men expected to go back to their old jobs and have the women back in the home. Most women wanted to continue working, but for many the opportunities were no longer available to them so they were asked to leave their jobs and return to their family responsibilities.
Women found this very difficult, they had had a taste of an independent fulfilling life and they were reluctant to meekly return to their old life.
The divorce rate increased after the war, many people think that this is due to women finding their new independence and being used to not having men around as much, and being more than confident of being on their own.
After the war, women found employment as secretaries, waitresses or in other clerical jobs. This is now known as the "pink collar" work force. The jobs were not as well paid, as enjoyable or challenging, but women did take them on as they either needed or wanted to keep working.
In the 1960’s more equal rights were given to women. And today, they are almost equal with men in the workplace and are rewarded with similar job opportunities to them. World war two changed women’s lives forever.