During the second World War, more opportunities became available to women. The men who went to war left many positions that had to be filled, so women were able to take these jobs. As well, there were many new jobs in munitions factories, as well as other positions that related very directly to the war. Women were also invited to join the Canadian Women’s Army Corps (CWAC). Although the CWAC did not allow women to fight in combat roles in the war, it allowed them to be part of the army and to help the war effort in other important ways. Women were excelling in their work on the home front, to the surprise of many. They were proving that they could do men’s jobs, and that they were valuable in the public sphere. The women in the CWAC were also contributing significantly, but because being in the army was considered such a “man’s job,” the people in charge made sure that these women maintained femininity. They were told what to wear (which was more feminine than practical), as well as how to do their hair and makeup. They were also told to act in very morally respectable, feminine ways. Even though women were forced to look and act in a feminine way, they were still being feminist by joining the army, because despite these regulations, the army was still considered by many people to be a man’s place. Once the war was over, women were encouraged to return back to their “normal” lives, leaving the jobs for men who returned from the war, and to go back to being wives and mothers. This was very discouraging, as many women enjoyed their new roles, and they felt as though they had proved themselves capable of being more than housewives. This feeling that they could do more sparked the flame that became the second wave of feminism.