Ask any person living during World War II, and I am certain that you will learn that propaganda was a large part of their life. Citizens on the home front were encouraged to do all that they could to conserve food, and other valuable materials, such as nylon. In fact women were giving up their nylons so that parachutes could be built, and instead drawing lines down either their legs or down stockings (this gave the effect that they were wearing nylons.) Whole armies had to be fed, along with the population back home. So women were encouraged to grow personal gardens or "victory gardens" to provide food for their families. This allowed for more food to be transported towards the troops. Along with these efforts, women were encouraged to can their own food. However food was not the only issue being faced by the country at the time. As an increasing war debt slowly weakened the United States, many people were encouraged to buy war bonds.
Women At Work
More than 300,000 Virginians enlisted, and more than 7,000 never returned home. These men consisted of fathers, brothers, husbands, uncles and cousins. But while these men were off fighting, there roles at home had to be filled, and the only ones who could fill them were women. Not only were they encouraged to work their own gardens, or victory gardens (as we previously mentioned), but they were also expected to raise their families, and take up a job. Many women worked in fields planting crops, such as the Women’s Land Army (WLA), while many others worked in industry producing war products such as planes. These women were more commonly known as "Rosie’s" named after Rosie the Riveter. Women became a crucial element of World War II, both on the home front and the battlefield. While some jobs paid less than what males were paid, many government jobs were in fact equal in wage.