The war accelerated the movement from the countryside to the cities. It also challenged gender and racial roles, opening new opportunities for women and many minoritized groups. The war had a dramatic impact on women. The military organized women into auxiliary units with special uniforms, their own officers, and, amazingly, equal pay. By 1945, more than 250,000 women had joined the Women's Army Corps (WAC), the Army Nurses Corps, among other military groups. Most women who joined the armed serv