The Changing Role Of Women During World War One

Wake up, make breakfast for the family, teach your children, clean, cook, sleep. The typical day for a woman before World War One was most likely boring, while their husbands would be at work making money to support his family. This all changed though, once World War One began, the men were conscripted into the war leaving their wives at home to do all the mens work, as well as their own. During World War One, woman proved they were highly capable in many fields of labour. The role women took on, affected the lives of any past, present and future woman. Woman’s role World War One had a positive effect on the growth of women's rights.

Before World War One began, the traditional role for women was to be restricted as a housewife although there
were few woman in the working class. Many woman outside of the working class were supposed to be the motherly figure and take care of the family. A quote by Oscar Wilde said, “Women have a much harder time than men in this world; there are far more things forbidden to them.” This means that because women did not have the rights and freedoms that the men had, it made life a lot harder for them to get a job and do simple tasks just because of their gender. The woman in the working class did not have a choice when it came to a job; they would be given a job without a choice because they needed to contribute to the household income. Overall, woman were usually placed as teachers, nurses or worked in an office. They were not allowed to work at particular jobs as they were considered only appropriate for men. Many unemployed woman began getting jobs overseas as nurses in the war or would work in factories at home to make munitions for the war since men went to battle. They drove buses, taxis and streetcars, some woman would work as lumberjacks and loggers; this field being the greatest increase of woman workers. Once World War One began, many changes were made and woman’s rights started moving forward. Throughout this time period, woman proved they had the ability and self respect to show men that they should be treated as equals and influenced the change in the woman’s rights movement.

World War One brought women many hardships, but more importantly, it improved their lives; especially in a political manner. A large milestone for women’s rights was when woman started becoming involved in political matters such as voting and taking part in the government. Woman did not have the right to vote before World War One. This was because men thought they were superior to woman and that woman had no place in politics because it was outside the home. Robert Borden, a Canadian layer and politician, had a desire and idea to pass a law that would force men to fight in war overseas because of the lack of men wanting to fight. He also promised, if he was elected again, he would grant woman the ability to vote federally. During this time, the conscription crisis convinced politicians to allow the woman who had family members in the war, to vote. The Person’s case was a huge contributor to the change of woman’s rights. The Person’s case was a group of five woman; Irene Parlby, Henriette Muir Edwards, Emily Murphy, Louis McKinney and Nellie McClung. Each member contributed in an important way, Emily Murphy made one of the big changes in the law; she transformed the look on woman to being “persons” (woman were treated equally). Nellie McClung made an impact as well by fighting for woman to have the right to vote. After years of protests and hard work by woman, in 1916, Manitoba woman were the first to gain the right to vote in provincial elections. By 1918, all woman 21 and over in Canada, were granted the rights to vote. This movement by Nellie McClung was later known as the Woman’s Suffrage Movement. World War One helped this act greatly because while the men were overseas fighting and not in the country, there was a 2:1 ratio of woman to men. This allowed woman to capitalize on opportunities to prepare their protests. “In the future, there will be no female leaders. There will just be leaders.” This quote represents equality, that women will be treated equally and have the same rights to government. It won’t matter if you are male or female, you will just be a leader. The hardships the woman encountered during World War One payed off as they gained new freedoms and improved rights.

When the war ended and men returned home, things started to reverse and it was expected that the woman would return to their regular lives like before the war.
Once soldiers began to return from war, woman were being forced out of their jobs. Women were expected to give their jobs away to the men returning from the forces and return to woman’s pre-work ‘woman’s work.’ The assumption that ‘a woman’s place is in the home’ returned. Woman began protesting against returning to regular work and wanting to be treated as equals. Woman’s rights during World War One changed and made advancements for the future. By World War Two, woman’s power was in demand again; woman returned to factories etc. taking over the men’s jobs. Their roles continued to change tremendously. Prior to World War Two, there had been a debate on whether or not woman were in a position to be used in the armed forces. In the spring of 1942, the shortage of manpower in the military sparked the need for woman. Woman were needed for non-combat jobs; switchboard operators, telegraphers, mechanics and drivers. More than a hundred thousand woman served in the Army Corps which later became know as the Woman’s Army Corps. They began to join the United States Navy as well. In the fall of 1942, the woman’s air force began training woman pilots who would fly planes to military bases throughout the United States. Many women believed that they might have never been allowed to serve in the military again if they didn’t prove their abilities and skills in a chosen
role.

In conclusion, World War One had a major impact on woman’s rights. It was a turning point and gave woman the ability and chance to show men that woman are just as equal, able and willing to do everything that’s considered a “man’s job.” The change from before World War One, during and how World War One influenced the advancements since the war, shows that woman were really determined and knew that they had to protest and fight for the woman of the future. The events throughout World War One had a positive affect on the growth of woman’s rights. Without their fights and acts to improve woman’s rights, the woman of the future would not have had the freedom and equality that we do today.