Mundy suggests that "many of the code-breaking women ... advance[d] the feminist movement." Do you agree?
Created: 09/26/18
Replies: 13
Join Date: 10/15/10
Posts: 3442
Join Date: 09/08/12
Posts: 81
Yes I do agree. As I referenced in a previous response, the specialized skill and contributions these women make in the defense of the country proved they could succeed outside their stereotypical roles of homemakers, teacher, etc. Hopefully it changed men's views on women's intellectual and professional capaicties.
Join Date: 07/28/11
Posts: 436
Join Date: 07/10/14
Posts: 72
I'm not sure I agree. These were extremely bright, educated women who were told at the end of the war to leave the workforce and let the men have the jobs. Which most of them did willingly. This was not really an advance for the feminist movement. It was more like yes, you were helpful but now go back to where you belong sort of thing I felt.
Join Date: 04/21/11
Posts: 281
I believe it was a part of the feminist movement, but this has been an issue for many, many years all over the world. When looking at what is happening this very minute in the US, we can realize this will be an ongoing process which may not be accomplished for many generations, if ever.
Join Date: 06/25/13
Posts: 347
I think what they did is wonderful, however, since it was a secret and they were not able to talk about, I am not sure this really advanced the movement too much. WW11 did start the movement because women had now be out in the work place and discovered they enjoyed it. The movement is still going on today and although advances have been made, there is still a long way to go to put us on equal footing
Join Date: 08/01/15
Posts: 66
I believe code breaking women definitely advanced the feminist movement. Incrementally each woman involved in jobs and discoveries chip away at the walls of discrimination. Each of these women also felt more empowered on an individual level. That is one of the many reasons that stories like Code Girls need to be heard so that each new generation can share their accomplishments without any delay.
Join Date: 05/29/15
Posts: 460
Join Date: 04/21/11
Posts: 70
Yes they did advance the movement as more exposure of the accomplishments and talents of women can't but help demonstrate to others their worth and that women can do work that has traditionally been done by men. The women may have left the positions after the war but there were still many social pressures and The Pill that helped woman have control of their own bodies didn't come about until 1960.
Join Date: 08/29/11
Posts: 61
The work done by code-breaking women definitely advanced the feminist movement. Even though participants were sworn to secrecy, still the fact that so many women were involved could not be overlooked. I also believe every woman who did this work had the chance to prove her worth--to others, and to herself.
Join Date: 07/02/15
Posts: 100
Yes, I think they did. They were among the first women to work in a field new to both men and women and to continue in those jobs after the war—at least some of them. Yes, many of the women were asked to leave their positions and did, but many continued to work in their wartime jobs. They moved up in the intelligence community. Many of them mentored non-military women who entered the workforce in the 50s, 60s, 70s, and later. While their impact on the feminist movement might not have been large because of the small size of that community, they definitely made a contribution.
Join Date: 08/29/18
Posts: 10
Without a doubt! The sheer numbers of women entering the work force during World War II made it impossible to ignore their abilities and the Code Girls' were an outstanding example of the remarkable contributions women made to the war effort.
Join Date: 04/14/11
Posts: 72
I am not sure I agree since their contributions were mostly kept quiet until well into the feminist movement. I think their contribution was huge and while they were appreciated at the time, after the war effort, they were pretty much forgotten. Men received most of the credit and it is only with books/research by Liza Mundy that we are even aware of their really important efforts. Bravo Liza!!
Join Date: 12/03/11
Posts: 276
Yes, but..it was sort of a two steps forward, one step back kind of advance. Since the women's contributions were kept silent for so long, and since they were asked to leave the workforce after the war, the advance was perhaps temporary. What was long-lasting, however, was the fact that women can in fact do non-traditional work, and perform it as well as, or better than men.
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