"Equal Pay" for Women in War : World War II Government Materials Promoting Equal Pay and Women’s Army Corps Service

W W. II Women Soldiers

Pamphlets

United States Department of Labor Women’s Bureau publication on equal pay for women during World War II documents federal efforts to address wage disparities as women entered wartime industry in large numbers. Equal Pay for Women in War Industries (1942), issued by the Women’s Bureau of the U.S. Department of Labor, argues for wage equity for women performing skilled industrial work essential to wartime production. The publication appears alongside a wartime recruitment poster encouraging men and women to enlist in the United States Army and the Women’s Army Corps. Together the two pieces record the federal government’s mobilization of women for both industrial labor and military service during the national emergency created by the global conflict.

United States Department of Labor Women’s Bureau. Equal Pay for Women in War Industries. Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1942. Bulletin No. 196. Accompanied by a wartime recruitment poster encouraging enlistment in the United States Army and the Women’s Army Corps with the slogan “Find adventure by enlisting in the U.S. Army and Women’s Army Corps.” The Women’s Bureau bulletin advocates equal compensation for women working in wartime industry and emphasizes their role as wage earners and skilled workers contributing to the national defense economy. The recruitment poster visually promotes wartime military participation among both male and female volunteers.

World War II dramatically expanded the participation of American women in both industrial labor and military service as millions entered factories, offices, and auxiliary military units to support the war effort. The Women’s Bureau played a central role in advocating improved wages and working conditions for female workers who filled positions traditionally held by men serving overseas. Federal statistics from the wartime period illustrate the wage disparities the bulletin sought to address, with skilled women workers earning substantially less than male workers performing comparable labor in defense industries. The establishment of the Women’s Army Corps in 1943 further integrated women into the military structure, replacing the earlier Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps and allowing women to serve in a broader range of administrative, technical, and logistical roles. Pamphlet and poster. Minor handling wear consistent with wartime paper ephemera. Overall condition very good.

Item #19670

Price: $880.00