Women in Men's Jobs: 1942

This is a recent painting. It is acrylics on procion-dyed canvas. 30"H x 28"W.

I was inspired by an old photograph from the Green Bay Press Gazette entitled Women in Men's Jobs: 1942.

I thought about the overlooked contributions of women on the home front during WWII. As men left factory jobs for war, women stepped up and excelled at male-dominated trades. After the war, many women’s jobs were given back to men. Women who wished to remain in the workforce were transferred back to “female” jobs, which received less pay.

The Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) was first introduced to Congress in 1923 to guarantee equal rights for all Americans. In 1972, it passed both houses of Congress, but failed to be ratified by states. So, the ERA is not a part of our Constitution and the fight for equal rights continues. I added that ERA button in my painting. We need to get the ERA ratified and guarantee equal rights for all (even women :-) )!!!!