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The woman's role in Nazi Germany -

Even before the outbreak of war in 1939, the Nazi regime in Germany officially encouraged and pressured women to fill the roles of mother and wife only.

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Homemakers and child-rearing -

Women were excluded from all other positions of responsibility. Instead, their roles were as traditional homemakers tasked with the rearing of children.

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Encouraged to reproduce -

Prolific mothers, those who conceived and raised at least four children in the role of a parent, were awarded a military decoration, the Gold Mother's Cross.

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The ideal family -

German women were expected to dress conservatively, keep themselves fit and healthy, and marry a strong, pure, and healthy Aryan man.

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Careless whispers -

Combating enemy espionage during the Second World War saw the establishment of domestic propaganda campaigns that cautioned citizens against revealing any information that could be useful to the enemy. While not exclusively aimed at women, they were generally the main recipients of the message.

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A message aimed at women -

Many women on the home front received letters from their sweethearts abroad. While all correspondence was vetted, officials worried that some letters might contain information useful to the enemy. Likewise, replies ran the risk of divulging sensitive details that the Allies didn't want in Axis hands.

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Be silent -

Women were seen as potential, albeit innocent, conduits of intelligence imparted through idle gossip.

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Governed by propaganda -

The Axis powers recruited women to broadcast propaganda in an attempt to demoralize Allied troops. One of the most infamous of these female English-speaking announcers was Iva Toguri D'Aquino, or "Tokyo Rose."

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Tokyo Rose -

Tokyo Rose was in fact an American who was living in Japan when war broke out. Her broadcasts typically taunted troops about the task that lay ahead of them in trying to defeat the Imperial Japanese Army, and questioned whether wives and girlfriends back home were remaining faithful.

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Following different rules -

Another American woman, Mildred Gillars, was employed by Nazi Germany to broadcast enemy propaganda in much the same way as Iva Toguri D'Aquino.

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Axis Sally -

Gillars was based in Berlin and dubbed "Axis Sally" by the Allies. Following her capture after the war, she became the first woman to be convicted of treason against the United States.

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Entertaining the troops -

Maintaining moral and confidence in victory was of paramount concern to the Allies. In the United States, the United Service Organizations (USO) sought to be the GI's "home away from home" and began a tradition of entertaining the troops and providing social facilities. Marlene Dietrich was one of the big Hollywood stars happy to brighten troops' deployments.

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Regulating the dating game -

Both big names and lesser-known talents took part in shows organized at home and overseas. On American soil, the USO drew up some pretty tough rules designed to keep females out of the dating game.

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Strict guidelines -

For example, in guidelines drawn up for junior USO hostesses, one rule stated: "No young lady will be permitted to leave the Service Club until the dance is over." Another rule warned: "At the conclusion of the dance, girls will leave only with their chaperones. Those coming in private cars will leave immediately after the dance."

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Handle with caution -

The USO knew women mattered to morale—the men needed company of women. But the organization cautioned girls about unmentioned wives and girlfriends back home.

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Women in the workplace -

In many nations during WWII, women were encouraged to join female branches of the armed forces or participate in industrial or farm work.

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Rosie the Riveter -

Except for nurses, women were restricted from combat zones. But they were widely accepted in industry to help the war effort. In the United States, Rosie the Riveter was an allegorical cultural icon. She represented the women who worked in factories and shipyards during the conflict.

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Facing challenges -

However, they faced challenges in overcoming ingrained cultural stereotypes against working women. Another more pressing issue was finding adequate childcare during working hours.

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Allowed to work on the land -

In Great Britain, factory laws regulating hours were suspended and night work for women was permitted. Meanwhile in the countryside, the Women's Land Army provided a rural workforce to replace the many male agricultural workers who had joined the armed forces. But a sharp eye was kept on its members, the fear being some women would be tempted to stray after hours.

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Fashion victims -

Women's fashion took a hit during the Second World War. To compensate for a wartime shortage of material, women would replicate the look of stylish nylon stockings by painting their legs, sometimes including a pencil seam for an even more authentic look.

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Personal sacrifices -

In fact, women were encouraged to discard silk or nylon stockings, and for good reason. Used silk stockings were made into powder bags for the navy, and used nylon stockings were melted down and respun into nylon thread for parachute production.

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Helping the war effort -

Younger women and girls gave up much of their time at weekend camps knitting sea stockings and jerseys for the crews of wartime convoys.

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Utility clothing -

Even the most fashion-conscious of women applauded what was known as utility clothing. Introduced in Great Britain, the utility clothing scheme ensured the availability of fabric, clothing, and shoes no matter what the consumer's socioeconomic circumstances.

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Housewives' dilemma -

Civilians in all the waring nations were subject to food rationing. In Great Britain, rationing commenced in 1940. Housewives suddenly faced the dilemma of having to feed their families on a fraction of what was previously available.

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Food rationing -

Among the first commodities to be restricted were butter, sugar, bacon, and ham. With each purchase, a coupon was clipped from the ration book.

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Joining the queue -

By the height of the conflict, around 1942, just about anything that was edible and for sale was rationed. Long queues formed outside shops, with many people often going away empty-handed.

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Skirting restrictions -

As homemakers, women had to think on their feet. They had to be thrifty and creative. Savvy home economics was called for. Fortunately, fresh fruit and vegetables were widely available so it made sense to either grow your own or ingratiate yourself with a local farmer or gardener.

Sources: (Imperial War Museum) (United Service Organizations) (The National WWII Museum) (Striking Women) 

See also: Incredible lesser-known facts about World War II

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