What Was The Role Of Women In World War 1 Essay
The Role of Women in War
Even today, women taking part in the Australian Defense Force is restricted to non-combatant roles, such as in the logistics and medical corps. In 1914, women were prevented from holding any military position, except as nurses who saw active duty on the front. Still wanting to make a contribution to the war effort, women turned their efforts to fundraising, and in the process, established the foundations of some vital charities which still exist today.
The Emotional Burden
The arduous conditions which the troops were faced with on the battlefields during World War I are well documented, however the emotional hardships of the women left behind are not as widely known. For the women who had said good bye to a husband, sons, brother, friend or father, their lives were spent in anxious waiting of their return. News travelled slowly at the beginning of the 20th …show more content…
century. Without todays cell phones, computers etc.…, in those days the contact for them was just a simple letter. Many months could pass by before a letter could even reach its intended recipient. Even then, it was highly likely that it would get lost in the post and never be received. Furthermore, with the government censoring the newspapers and letters from the war, family members were often oblivious to many of the realities faced by their loved ones. For many, the first and only time they would receive any news of their loved ones was when a clergyman appeared at the door with a telegram bringing news of their death.
Women's place in society
Although it is not always realised, equality for women has come a long way in only a short period of time.
At the time of World War I, Australia, New Zealand and a few other Scandinavian countries were the only nations who gave women the right to vote. Yet in Australia, women still received a wage 54 present lower than a male would get. Their role was still seen to be in the home, performing domestic worker and raising the children. From the outset, women were keen to be as actively involved in the war effort as men. Women applied to work in what were considered traditional women's role, such as cooks and clerk, so that the men could be free to go and fight. However, the government still discouraged any attempts by women to serve in the armed forces. The only women who were allowed to engage in any form of active involvement were the nurses who served overseas.
To add insult to the Australian women, in Britain, women were only allowed to be employed in factories and the transport in duty.
Charity and fundraising
activities
There were more women applying for work than positions available for them. The result was that a percentage of the female population became dissatisfied. In response, these women turned their attention to charity work. They relied on various methods of fundraising, including door-knock appeals and fetes to assist the men fighting overseas. In 1914, the Australian branch of the British Red Cross was founded at Government House in Melbourne. It grew quickly to have branches in every state as women from all over the country made their contribution to the war. The Red Cross was predominantly staffed by middle-class women whose main task was to compile packages for the men who were serving overseas. These packages usually contained luxury items such as soap and toiletries as well food and games. Within weeks of starting, they also began supplying clothing and medical supplies to the soldiers. They established homes for the wounded soldiers to recover in and raised money to assist soldiers' families. In 1916, the Australian Comforts Fund was established. The fund raised money to provide 'comfort boxes' for the soldiers. These boxes contained items such as knitted socks, cigarettes, preserved foods and even pyjamas. It is sometimes said that the inclusion of such an inappropriate 'comfort' as pyjamas, was an indication of the naivety of society at the time. Despite this, the women's devotion to the task, particularly recognised through the fact that they knitted nearly 1.5 million pairs of socks in the war.
Women and propaganda Women also had another important role- to influence and to encourage men to enlist. Women were both active and passive in this objective. Many women shamed men who had not enlisted by presenting them with a white feather to symbolise cowardice. Otherwise they simply shunned the men by turning away from them or crossing the street. Images of women were used in recruitment propaganda campaigns. Recruiters played on the perceived vulnerability of women by depicting them in recruitment posters as in need of the Australian soldiers to protect them from the evil Germans. Conscription propaganda posters which featured women were also common.
Content
The role of women in war
The emotional burden
Women’s place in society
Charities and fundraising actives
Women and propaganda
Even today, women taking part in the Australian Defense Force is restricted to non-combatant roles, such as in the logistics and medical corps. In 1914, women were prevented from holding any military position, except as nurses who saw active duty on the front. Still wanting to make a contribution to the war effort, women turned their efforts to fundraising, and in the process, established the foundations of some vital charities which still exist today.
The Emotional Burden
The arduous conditions which the troops were faced with on the battlefields during World War I are well documented, however the emotional hardships of the women left behind are not as widely known. For the women who had said good bye to a husband, sons, brother, friend or father, their lives were spent in anxious waiting of their return. News travelled slowly at the beginning of the 20th …show more content…
century. Without todays cell phones, computers etc.…, in those days the contact for them was just a simple letter. Many months could pass by before a letter could even reach its intended recipient. Even then, it was highly likely that it would get lost in the post and never be received. Furthermore, with the government censoring the newspapers and letters from the war, family members were often oblivious to many of the realities faced by their loved ones. For many, the first and only time they would receive any news of their loved ones was when a clergyman appeared at the door with a telegram bringing news of their death.
Women's place in society
Although it is not always realised, equality for women has come a long way in only a short period of time.
At the time of World War I, Australia, New Zealand and a few other Scandinavian countries were the only nations who gave women the right to vote. Yet in Australia, women still received a wage 54 present lower than a male would get. Their role was still seen to be in the home, performing domestic worker and raising the children. From the outset, women were keen to be as actively involved in the war effort as men. Women applied to work in what were considered traditional women's role, such as cooks and clerk, so that the men could be free to go and fight. However, the government still discouraged any attempts by women to serve in the armed forces. The only women who were allowed to engage in any form of active involvement were the nurses who served overseas.
To add insult to the Australian women, in Britain, women were only allowed to be employed in factories and the transport in duty.
Charity and fundraising
activities
There were more women applying for work than positions available for them. The result was that a percentage of the female population became dissatisfied. In response, these women turned their attention to charity work. They relied on various methods of fundraising, including door-knock appeals and fetes to assist the men fighting overseas. In 1914, the Australian branch of the British Red Cross was founded at Government House in Melbourne. It grew quickly to have branches in every state as women from all over the country made their contribution to the war. The Red Cross was predominantly staffed by middle-class women whose main task was to compile packages for the men who were serving overseas. These packages usually contained luxury items such as soap and toiletries as well food and games. Within weeks of starting, they also began supplying clothing and medical supplies to the soldiers. They established homes for the wounded soldiers to recover in and raised money to assist soldiers' families. In 1916, the Australian Comforts Fund was established. The fund raised money to provide 'comfort boxes' for the soldiers. These boxes contained items such as knitted socks, cigarettes, preserved foods and even pyjamas. It is sometimes said that the inclusion of such an inappropriate 'comfort' as pyjamas, was an indication of the naivety of society at the time. Despite this, the women's devotion to the task, particularly recognised through the fact that they knitted nearly 1.5 million pairs of socks in the war.
Women and propaganda Women also had another important role- to influence and to encourage men to enlist. Women were both active and passive in this objective. Many women shamed men who had not enlisted by presenting them with a white feather to symbolise cowardice. Otherwise they simply shunned the men by turning away from them or crossing the street. Images of women were used in recruitment propaganda campaigns. Recruiters played on the perceived vulnerability of women by depicting them in recruitment posters as in need of the Australian soldiers to protect them from the evil Germans. Conscription propaganda posters which featured women were also common.
Content
The role of women in war
The emotional burden
Women’s place in society
Charities and fundraising actives
Women and propaganda