War Bonds and Women
War bonds are debt securities, or loans to the government, that help finance a war effort. In both world wars, governments relied heavily on propaganda to help sell these bonds. Posters made sure every man, woman, and child knew it was part of their duty to buy war bonds.
Women were often featured in U.S. war bond propaganda during World War II. With many men serving overseas, women took charge of their own finances. Posters encouraged women to contribute a portion of their pay to the war effort. Other depictions of women played to the public’s guilt. Some women had paid the ultimate sacrifice, the loss of their husbands, and surely citizens could make the smaller sacrifice of purchasing war bonds.