The Home Front

Amy May, Interview, Imperial War museum

Others took up (unpaid) work for the war effort. This ranged from knitting socks for servicemen to taking of Belgian refugees. Some women put pressure on men to join the army or navy; they gave white feathers to those who they thought were cowardice. However a significant minority opposed the war and two women's peace organisations were set up during the war, however, these were called traitors and attacked at meetings. Nevertheless, by the end of the war each organisation had a membership of several thousands.

The changes for women to work at the beginning of the war did not happen immediately: the war office turned down some women who wanted to play a more active role in the war effort. One group, led by Dr Elsie Inglis, volunteered to go to France and work as nurses but they were given the reply, 'My good lady, go home and sit still' Elsie Inglis' response was to go home and set up her own organisation and within months she and her helpers were working in France, despite the war office. Some women simply ignored the war offices' advice and went to the front regardless. They formed their own organisations. By October 1914 there were many women working alongside the BEF in Ypres.

The Great shell Shortage of May 1915 brought women in large numbers to the war effort. Supplies of ammunitions for troops on the Western Front fell so low they were unable to fire their guns. Lloyd George began to increase the production of weapons and ammunition. This meant that many more workers were needed and the obvious answer was to employ women. These efforts to expand the industry coincided with suffragettes 'right to work' march (changed from 'right to vote' to 'right to serve' at the beginning of the war to show their commitment to the war effort and gain popularity) in July 1915.

Munitions factories were not the only places in which women could get work in 1915. Women joined the police force, this report from the Sussex Times 1915 shows the London's reactions to female policewomen:

London has not yet grown accustomed to its policewomen. I saw one today at the corner of Whitehall, and she appeared conscious of the attention she was attracting.

They also began working for the Land army where they took the places of male farm workers. Land girls, as they became known, began to wear trousers, which became acceptable in public for the first time.

In conclusion, the war proved to be a major factor in bringing women to work and provided many opportunities in many areas. Women's commitment to their country led them to want to join the war effort and eventually more were accepted into work due to the lack of male workers who had joined the army. And although pay was still smaller than men's for the same jobs, this was the first step to equality between sexes

Sorrel Sheppard Assignment 1

The Home Front