Bethan Richards 11AG
History Coursework
Attitudes towards women, and their right to the vote, had changed by 1918. How important was the First World War in bringing about this change.
Part A
This is the extent to which the First World War was important in getting women the vote.
Firstly, and in my opinion most importantly, it is a fact that Britain could not have managed the war without the labour of women. As soon as war broke out in 1914, both the suffragists and the suffragettes suspended their campaign to get the vote. The suffragists worked to get young men to join the army, whilst a huge demonstration was held demanding that women be allowed to work in the munitions factories. As war took its toll on the male population, more and more women stepped in to fill the gaps. Many historians say a kind of revolution was taking place. Women gained access to a whole range of jobs that had previously been reserved for men. They worked as bus conductors, postal workers and delivered coal. They surprised the remaining male population by succeeding at both heavy work and skilled jobs such as engineering. Above all, it was women’s contribution in the munitions industry that stood out in peoples mind. If women had not done all these things, the men at the front would not have got the necessary supplies.
