BBC Yorkshire
A Woman’s Place sees former speaker of the Commons Betty Boothroyd explore the role of women in the Second World War. The story is told through use of archive footage and the living memories of the women who worked in the factories and fields throughout the war. Many people are not aware of the scale of the work Britain’s women did for the war effort and it’s significance in the development of women’s rights in post war England.
So many women were recruited to work during the war and despite pay inequalities and unwelcoming workforces, thousands signed up to the Aircraft Assembly – at its peak over half the workforce were women.
The Women’s Land Army and the Women’s Division of the Royal Navy also gave women opportunities to do jobs they would never otherwise have thought of doing – and many felt a sense of freedom to be able to leave home and earn money.
As Patron of the Memorial to the Women of World War II Betty Boothroyd passionately remembers the work of the women that would otherwise be forgotten.