In 1914 there were very little opportunities for improvement within women’s jobs and social fixtures. Also, pre-war, women’s dress code and behaviour was very strict, thus refectory attitudes for women’s work.
Why did the number of women employed in Britain begin to rise significantly from mid-1915?
When the First World War broke out in 1914, women had to fill in jobs that men had left behind them to go and fight. More and more men went to fight in the war and by mid 1915; Britain’s workforce was seriously depleted.
At first, the government were reluctant to allow women to do the jobs left vacant by the men who had gone to fight, however many people realised that women were capable of making a bigger contribution. In 1915 there was a great shortage of shells on the Western Front and this also began to change the situation. Lloyd George, the Minister for Munitions negotiated with the trade unions, and came to a deal and began to draft women into industrial employment and other jobs. It was the only way to keep up the production of weapons and necessary resources. When conscription was introduced in 1916 there was a further demand for women to fill in workplaces left by men. The government used propaganda to encourage women to work both in industry, farming and the armed services.
So by mid-1915, almost one million women were employed in huge shell making factories around Britain, however women looked down on the female factory workers. But, the workers just explained that they were willing to die for their country. The Right to Serve March was introduced in 1915 and 40,000 women went to the House of Commons to protest, the government gave £3000 to Mrs Pankhurst. Also, the Marchioness of Londonderry set up a women’s legion in 1915. The National Registration Act was merged by mid 1915.
Women worked in the shipyards and drove trams, buses and ambulances. Women built aeroplanes and airships. This type of work reflects the tremendous change in attitude to women as workers. Also, women were enlisted to work in 3 services; the WAAC, WRNS, and the WRAF. The idea, before the war, that women should drive motorcars was remarkable enough, though during the war, women became engineers. 48,000 women worked as labourers on the land in the Women’s Land Army. These jobs proved that women had the stamina and the skill to cop with tasks that people had thought only men could do.
In what ways did the First World War change the employment opportunities of women in Britain?
From spring 1917, there were many jobs in the armed services women were able to do. 100 000 women served in the various sections of the armed services. They also took over the clerical and administrative work normally done by men. Women were also in demand for the ‘caring’ side of employment. 23 000 women served as nurses close to the fighting and a further 15 000 volunteered to serve as drivers and clerks.
For many upper class women, dealing with the sick, the dying and the dead came face to face with a side of life they had never experienced before. Their work was hard and very unpleasant. Although munitions work was dangerous and unhealthy, it was, by women’s standards well paid. A female industrial worker could expect £3 to £5 a week, which was a huge sum compared to their measly £2 a month paid to a domestic servant before the war.
Due to women’s new lives and careers, their dress code became more practical. They were allowed to wear shorter, looser skirts and trousers and their hair was worn shorter. Also, their behaviour became freer; women began to go out alone, drink in pubs and smoke. The First World War changed the employment opportunities of women in Britain better. Pre-war, women were treated as second class citizens, with no rights and no freedom. After the war, being female or married was no longer allowed to disqualify someone from holding a job in the professions or civil service. Shorter skirts and hair also became fashionable yet practical, and women smoked in public and wore make-up. However, as soon as the war ended, women were expected to give way to men returning from the war and they were made to return to ‘pre-war women’s work.’ Also, the assumption, ‘a woman’s place is in the home’ returned. The percentage of women at work returned to pre-war levels. But, the good experience of women working in clerical posts changed the statistics and more women than men worked in offices.
By 1919, around 750,000 women that had factory jobs had been dismissed. Employers just expected women to return back to their traditional women’s jobs that they had done pre-war – dressmaking, laundry work and domestic service. However, after the war, many working class women reported feelings that they were more ready to stand up for themselves and aim higher than they had ever been allowed to before. Although employment opportunities had not differed greatly- attitudes were slowly changing. The Sex Disqualification Removal Act was put in place in 1919 and in that same year, Oxford University, allowed women to study and stand as MP’s.
Arguably, self –determination and self –worth is the most important thing a person can have. And in many aspects, the women’s war effort was extremely valuable as a person, to themselves. There was particular evidence of this new self –worth due to an increasing number of women refused to go back to menial jobs such as domestic service and I don’t blame them!
