The NUWSS set up employment register and interviewed women so that they could replace men at work. One of the most important initiatives set up was the Scottish Women’s Hospital Unit, which employed an all-female team consisting of nurses, Doctors and ambulance drivers. Quaker agencies set up maternity and children hospitals for refugees and sanatoria for tuberculosis suffers.
Some of the most important and dangerous work done by women was in munition factories, which showed the biggest increase in employment. They worked long hours and with poisonous chemicals and at the time there was no protective clothing for them to wear. They worked with TNT which was a deadly chemical, that turned their skin yellow and they were nick named “Canary girl”. In 1916 the first death was reported. There was always a fear of explosions and even though there were many precautions e.g.: no matches, no jewellery, hair tied back, etc. There were still accidents. The most notorious was at Silverstone, East London in 1917 where a number of women were killed in an explosion.
Women also joined the women’s Auxiliary Army Corps (WAACS) formed in the 1916, they mainly worked as drivers, messengers, typists, telephonist and storekeepers.
Upper class women formed the voluntary aided attachments (VAD), formed in 1909 but expanded considerably over the war. The nurses and doctors worked at the front line, helping wounded soldiers. These women showed that they were equal as the men as they were at the front line with all the danger aiding them.
Working class women already worked before the war but their roles changed over the war. They worked as porters, at railway stations, ticket collectors, bus drivers, street sweepers and as fire fighters.
Women also worked on farms and formed the Women’s Land Army. As Britain is an island, during the war imports and exports stopped and it had to self-sufficient.
Before 1914 with the exception of nursing all jobs were for males only. In December 1917 the “London Gazette” surveyed 444,000 women, 68% of them had changed jobs since 1914,16% moved out of domestic service.22% were unemployed in 1914 and in 1916 were employed. But only 5% kept their jobs after the war.
Before 50 years the all male Parliament were reluctant to enfranchise women but in 1918 changed their views.
Lloyd George, who was sympathetic for women’s suffrage in December 1916, replaced Asquith, who was against suffrage for women. The work done by women in the war effort, made MP’s realise that their arguments against suffrage for women had all been quashed, as they participated and kept the nation moving in the absence of the men.
During the fight for suffrage, men used a quote from Queen Victoria against the suffrage fighters. At this time she was the most famous woman and she did not agree with enfranchising women. She said:
“Let women be what God intended, a helpmate for man, but with totally different duties and vocation.”
By the end of the war they had proven to the male dominated parliament that they were just as worthy as men were for the right to vote. As a reward for their war efforts they were given some political representation.
The war was the biggest factor in granting women their suffrage, because this was their time to prove to the nation that they could do men’s jobs and be their equal. The war work they did flawed all arguments against them having a right to vote and so the war was a turning point in women’s suffrage. This was there time to shine and they did!
