How did Canadian women contribute the Canadian economy during the Second World War?

Canada's entry into the war in 1939 created a labour shortage that had serious implications on its female citizens. For the first time, women were encouraged to leave the home and become active members of Canada's workforce. (Although it is important to remember that women played an important domestic role in this period too, through enforcing rationing and recycling raw materials, like glass and metal).

Many contributed to the war effort by volunteering as nurses for the Red Cross and working in military canteens. A further 373,000 women worked in factories, especially munitions, where they manufactured vital equipment for Canadian soldiers in return for a competitive salary. 

Women also worked on farms in this period, to ensure Canada had a constant food supply. They planted crops, drove tractors and increased the country's egg and poultry production. 

Some women also joined the armed forces, though they were never posted to the front line. They worked primarily as codebreakers and secretaries.