Women played an important role in the Second World War, with many men away fighting it was left to women to step up and take on the important roles left by them. Women worked in factories, farmed the land and even joined the forces. Without doubt these women played a vital role in the war effort in the UK.

The Women's Land Army, which had been vital during the First World War, was reformed in 1939. This was a means of providing labour for the farms as many men that had worked on the farms were now away at war and the country needed to increase food production to get through the war. The members of the WLA did everything from ploughing to picking potatoes and looking after livestock. Their contribution to the war effort made sure that the people of Britain did not starve during the war.

Many women chose to work in factories during the war, making ammunition, uniforms and aeroplanes. Women in factories worked long hours and some had to move into the area where the factories were. Women working in factories were not paid as well as men; some unskilled men were actually getting paid more than a skilled female worker. This led to a strike by women working at the Rolls Royce factory in Glasgow in 1943. The decision to strike was an unpopular one at first, as it was seen as being unpatriotic and during a street demonstration by the workers they found themselves pelted with eggs and tomatoes. However this soon stopped when people realised how little the women were being paid in comparison to men and when the women returned to work they were paid the same as a semi-skilled man, although this was not equal pay it was a victory for the women as they were being paid more than they were before the strike.

Another important organisation of women during the war was the Women's Voluntary Service. The WVS did many important jobs, during the London Blitz they provided refreshments for fire fighters during the clear up. Members of the WVS looked after people whose homes had been lost due to the German bombings, for these people the support they received was valuable and immeasurable. The women also knitted items for service men, with some going as far as adopting a sailor to provide with warm clothing they knitted. By 1943 the Women's Voluntary Service had one million members, most were elderly as many younger women were either in the factories or working on farms as part of the Women's Land Army.

Women also served in the military during WWII, the army, navy and air

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