Partners in Winning the War: American Women in World War II

Women at Home and in the Community Image
Women at Home and in the Community

What Job is Mine o the Victory Line?

To help overcome opposition to women in "men's" jobs, campaigns to recruit women workers stressed that production work called for domestic skills. If a woman could sew, she could rivet. If she could put together a pie, she could work on assembly line. Public relations campaigns -- even children’s toys -- emphasized patriotism, encouraging women to enter the workforce so their husbands, brothers, sons, and fathers could return home sooner.

Women’s Bureau leaflet (left) “What Job is Mine on The Victory Line?” tells women how to transfer their household skills to manufacturing and inspection jobs in war production jobs.

“Kitchen Lore Speeds War Production” (below), an article in Independent
Woman recounting how women drew on their homemaking experiences to contribute ideas that saved time, money & materials. Click image for larger view.

Children State a Patriotic Demonstration,
Southington, Connecticut

Children march in a patriotic parade

The volunteer efforts of women saved servicemen’s lives and improved military morale. Women worked as volunteers for the Red Cross collecting blood and making surgical dressings. Millions of Americans saved soldiers’ lives by donating blood at Red Cross facilities nationwide. Women’s organizations promoted member participation in these activities.

During a blood drive (left), 1000 volunteers responded and
the Red Cross handled ten donors every 15 minutes.

Jewal Mazique (right), a worker at the Library of Congress, gave her blood for plasma.

Photo Credits (L to R): #1: Women's Bureau, U.S. Department of Labor, #2: Business & Professional Women/USA,
#3: Library of Congress, #4: American Red Cross, #5-6: Library of Congress