The impact of the war on women

Key pointsBefore the war, the most common employment for a woman was as a

domestic servant. However, unmarried women were also employed in what

were seen to be suitable occupations e.g.teaching, nursing, office work.

Key pointsWhen war broke out in August 1914,the idea of women working was met

with resistance due to the widespread belief that “women’s

place as in the home”.

Key pointsSuffragettes, who had been agitating for

female rights, stopped all

militantaction in order to support the

wareffort.

Key pointsMuch of the opposition to female

participation in the workforce came from trade unions. Due to this,the employment of women had not increased significantly before the middle of 1915. In July 1915, a ‘Right to Work’ ,march was organised by

a leading suffragette, Christabel Pankhurst.

Key pointsThe shell shortage crisis in 1915 began to change the situation. Women were taken on to work in munitions factories. The government did a deal with the trade

unions, known as the Treasury Agreements. The unions agreed to accept female labour in place of men

‘for the duration of the war’.

Key points

The introduction of conscription in 1916 led to an increase in the number of

women employed in all sectors of the

economy.

Key pointsMany women were paid good wages, especially in munitions factories, but in most cases they were paid lower

rates than men.Improved wages did permit greater

independence for some women.

Key pointsWomen became more visible in the

world of work. They were seen to bedoing important jobs.

The armed forces also employed women and an estimated 80,000 British women worked for the armed

forces, 250,000 worked in agriculture

Women were in great demand for the ‘caring’ side of employment and became nurses in the First Aid

Nursing Yeomanry, and drivers and clerks in Voluntary Aid Detachments.

VotingWomen over 30 were granted the right to vote in 1918 with the Representation of the People Act. The significance of the war in helping women attain the vote may be overstated.

It is more likely that female suffrage was an extension of democratisation of western societies as occurred earlier in New Zealand and Australia.

The impact of the war on women’s lives and experiences in Britain

New Roles for Women:Long term nature of the war demanded

that women play a new role in the economyAs the total war of attrition demanded the

mobilisation of all of society’s resources, many women moved into traditional male roles

The first organised attempts for women to do ‘war work’ was rebuffed

Recruitment drives of 1914 and 1915 changed official attitudes. Absence of men began to impact on various industries.

Early 1915: women were employed as nurses, ambulance drivers, postal workers, bus conductors, police women and fire fighters

Mid 1915: women were employed as tram conductors, drivers, lift attendants, milk deliverers, shell makers, shop floorwalkers, railway cleaners, bookstall clerks, window cleaners, ticket collectors and dairy workers

Late 1918: more then 7 million women employed in ‘war work’

Largest single employer for women was the Ministry of Munitions

Women served as nurses from late 1914

Women’s Land Army – formed in 1916 to attract women to work on the land -> food production had become a priority

Woman’s Armed Forces – in the war zone women drove ambulances, operated food canteens, entertained soldiers, worked as cooks, waitresses, clerks, typists, telegraphists, telephonists, packers, drivers and mechanics

After the War The Impact on Women’s Lives:

Women were expected to give way to men returning from the forces and return to pre-war ‘women’s work’.The assumption that ‘a woman’s place is in the home’ returned

Different impact on different social classesYoung working class women were largely the ones

who moved into traditional male working class jobs -> significant impact on their social and economic independence

Middle and upper class women tended to do more volunteer work or join one of the uniformed services -> gave them “war experience” but had less of an impact on their place in society

Women no longer needed escorts to maintain their reputations

New sexual freedomFor practicality in the workplace and due to a

shortages of fabrics, skirts became shorter, women wore trousers, bras replaced the corset

There were significant changes in fashion: women wore short hair, smoked and wore make up in public

After the War The Impact on Women’s Lives:

Women retained some of the social independence they had acquired during the war

The change in women’s fashion became more or less permanent

Employment: little permanent change – in most cases, women had to give up the “male jobs” they had taken on. Secretarial work was one area that women retained but at less pay than men who had previously done these jobs

In 1919: being female or married was no longer allowed todisqualify someone from holding a job in the professions or civilservice.

Lasting impact

Women retained some of the social independence they had acquired during the war

The change in women’s fashion became more or less permanent

Employment: little permanent change – in most cases, women had to give up the “male jobs” they had taken on. Secretarial work was one area that women retained but at less pay than men who had previously done these jobs

In 1919: being female or married was no longer allowed todisqualify someone from holding a job in the professions or civilservice.

Lasting impact