In what ways did the lives of women change during the war as a result of their work outside the home?

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In what ways did the lives of women change during the war as a result of their work outside the home?

The lives of women changed enormously during World War Two.  Up until 1939 women’s role was in the home looking after their children and menfolk.  They did all the domestic chores and their day resolved around washing cooking and cleaning.  They were expected to have a hot meal on the table ready when the men came home from work.  During the evening they would spend their time darning, knitting and sewing.

Before the war, married women were not allowed to work because it was believed that once a woman married it was her duty to look after her husband, home and family.

 opened up incredible  for women.  When the men left to go to war they took over the jobs that the men left behind.  Women began to work in manufacturing and engineering; they worked in factories making air craft, bombs and tanks.  They drove busses worked as butchers and bakers became postal workers, in fact, any job that was previously considered to be mans work now became women’s work.  Until now it was a common belief that women couldn’t do these jobs because working in manufacture and engineering were all considered to be men’s work and that women were not physically or mentally capable to do them adequately.  Women proved themselves to be open to wide variations of work and as a result of this the general image of women changed dramatically.

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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, ...

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