| The formation of the Canadian Women's Army Corps (CWAC) in August 1941 marked the first time that women had been officially recruited into the Canadian military. The military embarked upon the task of recruiting women with preconceived notions of their abilities and appropriate roles. The image of womanhood that emerged from recruitment propaganda was shaped not only by these preconceived ideals, but also by the military's need for women to fill 'secondary' roles. To an even greater extent than private sector employers, the military strove to ensure that female volunteers maintained a feminine appearance and presented a stereotypically feminine image to the rest of the world. To no small degree, this necessitated generating an element of sexual allure, of appeal and attractiveness to men, among the women volunteers. On the other hand, the moral integrity of Canada's first force of women soldiers had to be maintained at all costs. This thesis will consider the extent to which the military's desire to maintain the ideal of femininity among CWAC volunteers conflicted with maintaining public images of their sexual propriety and resulted in the generation of confusing and frequently contradictory views of the femininity and sexuality of Cwacs. (Abstract shortened by UMI.). |
