The working roles of women in Australia and how they changed!.
Because on the 6th of march 1942 conscription age rose, more men were getting called away to fight, leaving the workforce almost empty. This meant that they had to get women to fill in the roles of the men.
December 1942 and a director of manpower was appointed, directing people from jobs that weren't essential during the war to those that were like arms manufacturing. After this almost 400000 people had followed and were working in appropriate and necessary jobs.
Many women were entering the workforce, adding to their responsibilities and reforming their roles from the original run of the mill housewife to a working woman. Throughout the war they kept the industry running with 40% in munitions factories as well as many more doing mechanical and maintenance work in the aircraft and shipping industry, working in factories and ammunition and weapon factories also, taxi drivers, security guards, mail deliverers, bread carters, meter readers etc etc. The work conditions were very different from their original roles, which did drastically change. And many thought it was for the better!.
By October 1942, more than half a million women were working in the workforce, taking over jobs that were once dominated by the males and on top of this they still had a family to tend for. With this they showed how they could do more than be just housewives etc. it let them show what they were really capable of. Women got to like work and were hoping for this avenue to stay open for them even after the war had ended. This was not able to happen; women were generally paid less then the men and the trade unionists thought that this would seem attractive to the employers and be a reason to keep the women on therefore taking all the jobs away from the men. Whilst the women did an extraordinary job while the men were away at war, they had to realize that it was all too good to be true and retire back to their old roles for the time being, giving the men back their roles.
