From your email I can't tell if you are talking about feminism solely in the U.S. or around the world. Because I understand the U.S. best, I will answer from that perspective.The situation around the world was similar, but certainly varied depending on many things-- such as geography, class, race, etc, but these are variables that applied within the United States, too.

Before the WWII, women were beginning to get many rights--for instance, the right to vote, to work, and to inherit, to divorce, etc... This gave women a taste of freedom that many women had previously been denied. During WWII, women flooded the workplace and were generally respected within society primarily because of men's absence. So while they had this taste of "power" it was temporary and it was entirely based on men's absence.

After WWII, there was a "backlash" to this freedom--and many women were prohibited from the freedom they had previously enjoyed. You can learn more about this period through a few books--Sheila Rowbotham's book A Century of Women does a good job of breaking down women's progress/regressions for each decade. There is also a book called Homeward Bound, which talks about women specifically after WWII.

I hope this helps,
Amy