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Essay / Changes in Canadian Society During the Second World War
During the Second World War, Canadian society changed dramatically, especially with regard to the role of women and the impact of their pioneering initiatives on the future of women's rights today. Instead of working as housewives, women began to support the war effort by serving in the military and taking jobs traditionally held by men. These new roles and responsibilities were enthusiastically received by women and contributed greatly to the success of Canada's "Victory Campaign." Working in factories across the country, they made parts for military machines, made munitions, and drove buses, taxis, and trams. This level of female participation in the workforce was a first in Canada and thousands of women were proving that they had the skills, strength and ability to work in fields previously dominated by men. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get the original essay The various wartime jobs women did proved just as essential as those of soldiers: they sewed clothes, collected materials to discard from collection campaigns and helped displaced people by providing them with basic necessities and establishing refugee centers. These tasks were often assigned to women who joined war relief camps, established to improve the morale of troops overseas. They received packaged chocolate, sewing kits and razor blades in canvas bags called ditty bags. Women also gained a high reputation for their precision work in electronics, optics, and instrument assembly due to their small size and manual dexterity. Along with factory work, many women tended the farm when the men in their families enlisted in the military. They had to drive tractors, plow the fields, put in hay and transport the grain to the elevators. And when they weren't busy keeping everything in order, they were planting "victory gardens" to supply communities with much-needed fruits and vegetables across Canada. Although many were satisfied with the immense progress made, Canadian women wanted to play a greater role. active role on the front lines as the war raged. Eventually, they asked the government to create military organizations for women. In 1941-1942, they were finally able to serve in uniform, marking the beginning of military inclusiveness in Canada. In fact, more than 50,000 women served in the armed forces during this era, surprising even those who fiercely opposed their beliefs. Now, women are allowed to work in all sectors of the Canadian military, proving how important these events were to modern-day feminism and equality. Elsie Gregory MacGill “Hurricane Queen” Although America found a fictional role model in “Rosie the Riveter,” Canada had a real hero that people could look up to. Elsie Gregory MacGill was not only the first woman in the world to earn an aeronautical engineering degree, but she was also the first female aircraft designer ever. She worked for Fairchild Aircraft Limited during the war and by 1940 her team's design and production methods were producing more than 100 Hurricane fighter planes per month. This made her a legend among most engineers in Canada,.