Source G is a secondary source, which is looking back at women’s war effort. It is from a school textbook, published in the 1980s and shows us the increase of women employment. But it only shows us some of the jobs that women were employed in, for example, they have left out nursing, which was an extremely important job that women did because they helped the soldiers who got hurt in the battle of Somme. In the metal industries, chemical industries, government offices and food, drink and tobacco the source shows us that there was a massive increase of the employment of women from July 1914 to July 1918. This source only presents us with very basic facts and does not show us the massive decrease in women employment, after the war finished in 1918. Source G is very basic and does not give us all the information. Source G gives more evidence than source F, but it only basic evidence and is looking back on the situation, unlike the poster, which was made at the time. They also do not show us how women were treated in a work force, which was very badly and men disrespected them.
Sources F and G shows what the government wanted and got. But before the war had started the suffragettes and suffragists called off their campaign, until the war had finished, so more women were available to work. Amongst the WSPU some women did not agree with stalling the campaign and went to America to help American women to achieve the vote for women. As shown in Source G, many jobs were now available for women including in government offices and many factories, but before this government thought women were unable to do men jobs, which was a massive contrast to before the war. But now women were doing he same jobs as men, they were more respected and government needed them massively. Also because of so many soldiers dying in the battle of the Somme, the government were thinking of giving the vote to women because of what they were doing and because there might have been not enough men to vote. As Source F shows, government needed women and especially during the war. Which is also shown because it was drawn in 1916, during the battle of the Somme.
Women now where gaining a bit of respect from government and men especially. But some men were frightened that they would not have a job after the war, because of the women doing such a goof job, but still were impressed that women could do their job as well. Government also appreciated what the women did but they thought before the war, women were useless, but now they are working in mens job, they praised all women. This shows that government were very desperate and needed women to go to work. And also help the injured from the war. Source F shows this very well and source G shows the massive increase in employment of women. Women thought they were better off than before and liked working and felt pleased of what they were doing and government praised them regularly.
The war forced government to put trust in women and respect them for what they were doing. Because so many men were at war, factories that didn’t allow women to work, now allowed them, otherwise they could not earn any money until the men got back from war. But sources F and G are very basic and does not tell us how useful women were to the war effort from 1914 to 1918. It shows that women were needed and employment of women increased not the full picture.
