The impact of the war on women

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The impact of the war on women

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Key points Before the war, the most common
employment for a woman was as a domestic
servant. However, women were also employed in
what were seen to be suitable occupations
e.g. teaching, nursing, office work.
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Key points When war broke out in August
1914, thousands of women were sacked from jobs in
dressmaking, millinery and jewellery making.They
needed work and they wanted to help the war
effort.
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Key points Suffragettes stopped all
militant action in order to support the
war effort.
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Key points At first, there was much trade
union opposition and the employment of women had
not increased significantly before the summer
of 1915. In July 1915, a Right to Work ,march
was organised by a leading suffragette,
Christabel Pankhurst.
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Key points The 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.
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Key points The introduction of conscription in
1916 led to an increase in the number of women
employed in all sectors of the economy.
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Key points Many 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.
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Key points Women became more visible in the
world of work. They were seen to be doing
important jobs.
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Key points The armed forces also employed
women, but the jobs were mainly of a clerical
and domestic nature.
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Key points 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.
VADs Members of the Voluntary Aid Detachment
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• After the War
• 1 Women were expected to give way to men
  returning from the forces and return to pre-war
  womens work.
• 2 The assumption that a womans place is in the
  home returned.
• 3 The percentage of women at work returned to
  pre-war levels.
• 4 More women than before worked in offices.

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• After the War
• 5 Shorter skirts and hair became fashionable.
• 6 Women went out with men without a chaperone.
• 7 Women smoked and wore make-up in public for the
  first time.
• 8 In 1919 being female or married was no longer
  allowed to disqualify someone from holding a job
  in the professions or civil service.

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The End Of My Presentation.