"Womanpower" Booklet
1/1943
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The "Womanpower" Campaign was a government initiative intended to maximize war production by using women in the labor force. This booklet, published by the War Manpower Commission in response to public opinion polls, identified the goals of the campaign and strategies for its success.
With men off fighting World War II, women were called to take their place on the production line. The War Manpower Commission, a Federal Agency established to increase the manufacture of war materials, had the task of recruiting women into employment vital to the war effort. Men’s attitude towards women in the work force was one challenge to overcome but, surprisingly, women’s own ideas about work outside the home had to change as well.
After the war, most women returned home, let go from their jobs. Their jobs, again, belonged to men. However, there were lasting effects. Women had proven that they could do the job and within a few decades, women in the workforce became a common sight.
Select pages of this 30-page booklet are shown.
With men off fighting World War II, women were called to take their place on the production line. The War Manpower Commission, a Federal Agency established to increase the manufacture of war materials, had the task of recruiting women into employment vital to the war effort. Men’s attitude towards women in the work force was one challenge to overcome but, surprisingly, women’s own ideas about work outside the home had to change as well.
After the war, most women returned home, let go from their jobs. Their jobs, again, belonged to men. However, there were lasting effects. Women had proven that they could do the job and within a few decades, women in the workforce became a common sight.
Select pages of this 30-page booklet are shown.
This primary source comes from the Records of the War Manpower Commission.
Full Citation: 'Womanpower' Booklet; 1/1943; Central Files and Monthly MOPAC Area Reports, 1942 - 1943; Records of the War Manpower Commission, Record Group 211; National Archives at Atlanta, Morrow, GA. [Online Version, https://www.docsteach.org/documents/document/womanpower-booklet, March 21, 2025]Rights: Public Domain, Free of Known Copyright Restrictions. Learn more on our privacy and legal page.