So many men had gone away to fight that women were needed to do their jobs. As a result, the number of women working in the industry increased enormously. The war gave women the opportunity to prove their worth in the war effort. As more and more men were required to fight, there were huge numbers of jobs in industry and other essential areas. Women volunteered to help fill the shortages. Many joined the Women’s Land Army or Voluntary Aid Detachments (VAD’s). Women worked in many areas such as munitions factories, in engineering, banks, buses, and railways, in gas works, as nurses near the battle front and at home.
Also the work women did during the war convinced many people that they should have the vote after the war.
As men left jobs to fight overseas, they were replaced by women such as Octavia Wilberforce and Louisa Martindale who worked as doctors treating wounded British soldiers.
Women filled many jobs brought into existence by wartime needs. As a result the number of women employed increased from 3,224,600 in July 1914 to 4,814,600 in January 1918. Nearly 200,00 women were employed in government departments. Half a million became clerical workers in private offices. The greatest increase of women workers was in engineering, which over 700,00 of these women worked in the highly dangerous munitions industry.
Also in 1925 the government realised it had a problem. The old voting system demanded that voters live in the same place for the twelve months before an election. So if there were to be an election during the war, most soldiers would not be able to vote. The government decided to change the law and make sure the ‘war heroes’ got their vote. Women groups saw their opportunity to include votes for women in the changed law. There were no demonstrations, but there were many meetings between women’s leaders and politicians, and a flood of telegrams and letters were eventually sent to MP’s.
Women mostly worked for themselves during the war found themselves earning good wages for themselves during the war and were no longer dependant in their husbands but also women dressed and acted more freely during the war and felt more independent than men, but women started dressing more simpler with shorter skirts and sleeves. Hairstyles changed and it became acceptable for women to wear trousers.
The overall approach to women being weak also changed because people changed their views and thought women weren’t weak when the government saw women working and taking men’s jobs, which is interesting to say because before politicians always criticised women, about being weak but after when the government saw women helping in the war effort. The mostly all changed their minds especially Asquith and Lloyd George, who both criticised women and now changed their views abut women and actually thought they were good.
Women over 30 did gain the vote mainly because of the women’s contribution to the war effort, and yes I do agree and then I also don’t because firstly no because if women were granted the same rights as men it wouldn’t work out because many men had died in the war that if women had the vote at 21, in 1918 they would have outnumbered men and secondly showing their attitudes hadn’t changed that much. It was believed that women under 20 were felt to be too silly and not responsible. Also the contribution women gave to help out was good because they did the jobs consistently without any negative thoughts involved but really proved to the public that they were good enough as the men so this helped many people to believe that they should have the vote after the war but really pave they way for changes in the law to allow women to vote.
Also yes I do agree because if there wasn’t a situation before of women wanting to take male jobs then I think that Britain would have lost the war because the women did a very good job of taking care of all the jobs left behind by men and all the women handled it very well and seriously, but overall mainly they did a very good job.
The women who were campaigning for the rights of women voting were also smart because when the situation arose in August 1914 when Britain declared war on Germany, they knew that many men would have to go away so they paused their campaigning and went out to help cover the men’s jobs and carry on working for them but also knowing this would help their opportunity to get the vote because all they had to do was a great job on covering for the men, so they knew the government would have to give the voted but also if they were going to give it because the politicians were scared after that the suffragettes might start their militant action again so they had no choice but to give the women the vote, which eventually came in 1918 which women over 30 gained the vote and so really women did do a good jobs during the war and deserved the vote.
