During World War II, Canadian society changed dramatically, especially regarding the role of women and how their pioneering role influenced the future of rights of women today. Instead of working as housewives, women began supporting the war effort by serving in the military and doing jobs traditionally done by men. These new roles and responsibilities were enthusiastically embraced by women and contributed greatly to the success of the Canadian “Victory Campaign.” Working in factories across the country, they built military machinery parts, made ammunition, and drove buses, taxis, and streetcars. This level of female participation in the workplace was a first for Canada, and thousands of women demonstrated they had the skills, strength and ability to do work in previously male-dominated sectors. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay The various jobs women performed during the war proved to be as essential as those of soldiers: they sewed clothes, collected scrap materials, raised funds, and helped displaced people by providing basic necessities and setting up refugee centers. These tasks were often assigned to women who joined war relief camps, established to improve the morale of troops overseas. They were supplied with packaged chocolate, sewing kits and razor blades in canvas bags called “ditty bags”. Women have also developed a reputation for precision work in electronics, optics, and instrument assembly due to their smaller physical size and manual dexterity. In addition to factory work, many women tended the farm when the men in their families joined the army. They had to drive tractors, plow fields, load hay and transport grain to elevators. And when they weren't busy keeping things in order, they were planting “victory gardens” to supply communities with much-needed fruits and vegetables across Canada. While many were pleased with the immense progress made, Canadian women wanted to play a more active role on the front lines as the war raged. Eventually, they petitioned for the government to form 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, during that period, more than 50,000 women served in the armed forces, surprising even those who fiercely opposed their beliefs. Now, women can work in every area of the Canadian military, demonstrating how significant 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 life hero that people could look up to. Elsie Gregory MacGill was not only the first woman in the world to graduate as an aeronautical engineer, but she was also the first ever female aircraft designer. He worked for Fairchild Aircraft Limited during the war and by 1940, his team's design and manufacturing methods were producing more than 100 Hurricane fighter planes a month. This made her a legend among most engineers across Canada, and even though she was a woman, people began to respect her work immensely. MacGill became the symbol of Canada's miraculous economic transformation during the war and was even the subject of a comic strip titled..
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