The Role of Women in WWII Propaganda

The Role of Women in WWII Propaganda

Lauren Fantone, 04/05/2021

The topic of propaganda is interesting as it can mean many different things and come in many different forms. Propaganda is the communication of misleading or biased information used to promote or publicize a particular point of view, agenda, or political plan. When people usually think of propaganda their immediate thought is war propaganda from the Cold War or World War I and II, but there is propaganda everywhere and more importantly still occurring today. 

As I stated above, the most well-known propaganda originates from the time periods surrounding both World War I and II, and could be presented on posters, animated films, and politically written pieces. The United States government and corporations throughout the country utilized propaganda to influence the American masses to become more involved in the war effort, through both their monetary donations and moral support. The influence of propaganda was massive as it mobilized the masses and got ordinary, everyday individuals involved in the war. 

In order to better understand how the government and businesses utilized propaganda for their own benefit, I thought it would be beneficial to choose a really specific area of war propaganda. As I researched, I found that women were included in propaganda during the war for various different reasons and were used as figureheads to encourage the general public to join the war effort. 

During World War I and II, the way women were included in propaganda posters varied depending on the goal of the organization that bought them and what they were trying to achieve by putting it out. There was not one single way women were portrayed in these posters, as there were many different ways organizations represented women in order to gain support and understanding. In some posters, women were used to appeal to men through sexual imagery or used to appeal to men through images of distress or emphasizing the idea that they need saving. The way women were represented in these posters shifted from World War I to World War II, as women started to be presented in more of an involved, mobilized way that made it seem like their involvement in the war was just as necessary as the men. I believe it is interesting to see the different ways women were used in order to help enlist soldiers, but also appeal to the general public. There are a couple other reasons women were included in propaganda posters during the wars, therefore, below I have attached some examples along with explanations.

Howard Chandler Christy, 
Gee!! I Wish I Were a Man!,
1917.

 As stated above, in some posters women were portrayed as seductive or presented in a  sexual way in order to convince men to enlist in the army through their sexuality. I   believe this was more of a common theme from around World War I, as the   organizations that commissioned these wanted women to become more involved in   the war effort around World War II. In the poster to the left, a women is portrayed in a   sailor's uniform. Her posture, glance, and smirk towards the camera is shown in such   a way that would appeal to the men looking at the poster. The slogan "Gee!! I wish I   were a man, I'd join the Navy" indicates that if she had the opportunity she would   enlist in the armed forces to help with the war effort. This poster was used in order to   push men to enlist in the Navy as they have the ability and opportunity to help their   country against the enemies. 

Howard Solomon, For Home and Country,
Victory Liberty Loan, 1918.

Another frequent method used to appeal to male viewers of propaganda posters was to include women in such a way that made it seem like the men needed to join the armed forces in order to save the women who they were leaving behind in distress, where they needed saving and the only way to do so was to join the war effort. The poster to the right shows the women in a more traditional role - getting left behind to take care of the home and child while the man has to go defend the country. This poster not only would appeal to men by showing them they need to go defend their families and fight for a safer country and future, but also emphasize the idea that the general public needs to continue purchasing bonds and loans to finance the war effort. 

R.H. Porteous, Women! Help America's
Sons Win the War, 1917.

As the war continued on, propaganda started to incorporate soldier's mothers in order to gain both financial and moral support for the war. The organizations that commissioned these posters needed to include women other than younger women, as they needed to appeal to the general public, including other mothers and families. If one mother sees this poster, she may feel connected or more inclined to buy loans and finance the war. An example of this is to the left, where a mother is campaigning for other women to help 'America's Sons' a.k.a. soldiers by purchasing government bonds and loans. I think the posters like this are important when compared to the ones that came before because they appealed to a different audience, calling on their support through financial and monetary payments rather than enlisting themselves in the war. It was an important way to ensure the war would continue receiving funding, while also allowing the general public to show their patriotism and support for the efforts.

U.S. Treasury Department, Even a
Little Can Help a Lot - Now!, 1942.

A more broad reason that organizations utilized women in posters was to simply promote patriotism and encourage public support. An example of this was including women in posters to encourage the general public to support the war through any means necessary. The poster to the right was created in 1942 by the U.S. Treasury Department in order to urge Americans to buy war bonds and war savings stamps. Although these propaganda posters included any subjects - whether or not they were female - they sometimes utilized women and children to encourage citizens and appeal to different types of individuals. The U.S. Treasury Department wanted to encourage the purchase of bonds as they not only considered it to be patriotic, but also an investment in an American victory. 

Adolph Treidler, For Every Fighter,
a Woman Worker, 1918.

 As the United States became more involved in World War   II, the incorporation of women in propaganda posters started to become a staple.   These posters portrayed women in a much more active role in contributing to   war efforts. The first poster is called 'For Every Fighter, a Woman Worker' and   shows a   young woman in a factory work outfit. This poster was representing   the Young Women's Christian Association (Y.W.C.A.) which was a well-    known campaign that recruited women to serve in industry, government, and     agricultural positions while the war was going on. This association supported     the war effort in a unique way as it guaranteed the physical jobs would be filled  by women, as they were becoming more involved. Another association that was   important in emphasizing the need for women involvement in the war was the   Red Cross. This organization used propaganda to influence women to become nurses or support nurses in the war effort through donation.

Adolph Treidler, Soldiers Without 
Guns, 1944

 These posters were some of the most imperative that were released during the   entire war as they were used to promote and recruit for war efforts in America.   These posters, like the one to the left, depict women in their home front jobs,   appearing enthusiastic, indestructible, honorable, and further promoting the   home front efforts. These posters were all different as some showed women   working in factories, on farms, in food processing plants, or as mechanics. The   women included in these posters were depicted as 'ordinary, regular' women   which emphasized the idea that anyone could be a participant in war-related   activities. In addition, the importance of women being recruited into the   workforce was really important as the country needed their help on the home   front - filling the jobs that the male soldiers used to occupy before enlisting.

J. Howard Miller, We Can Do It!,
1942.

Perhaps the most iconic image from World War II was 'Rosie the Riveter' which was released as a campaign effort aimed at recruiting females to work for defense industries. This is typically what people think of when they think of working women during the war. After this poster was released, the percentage of women that entered the workforce increased from 27 percent to 37 percent. 

I think that every poster released during both World War I and II was imperative in getting the general public to participate in the war. Although I barely touched on the subject of the role women played in WWI and WWII propaganda, I think I summarized the information in a concise way that the shows how organizations used imagery of women to push their goal. As shown in the article above, the way women were depicted in propaganda evolved throughout the years and allowed for more involvement in the war.

Sources:

1. https://online.norwich.edu/academic-programs/resources/history-of-american-propaganda

2. https://behindthescenes.nyhistory.org/depiction-women-propaganda-posters/

3. https://americanhistory.si.edu/collections/object-groups/women-in-wwi/war-posters

4. https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/rosie-the-riveter

5. https://www.bl.uk/world-war-one/articles/women-in-world-war-one-propaganda