The war generally gave women the chance to prove themselves to the nation that they could do what men thought they couldn’t. Women gained more self-confidence and men had an increased sense of women’s capability to everyday work.
Women were employed in many industries, such as nurses in the armed forces, the land army, motor/car industry as mechanics or drivers, aeroplane industry, many clerical jobs were offered and many began to work as postal works and on busses as conductresses.
Women working in factories in WWI
The war transformed a political situation, it was obvious that once the war was over women were going to go straight back to campaigning over their suffrage. It would have been quite embarrassing and probably unpopular to imprison women, who had played such an important role in the war effort. All the work women did must give them the right to be allowed to share in the politics of their country.
Asquith (PM in 1916) changed his attitude towards women, he claimed: “women have aided in the most effective way in the prosecution of the war… have not the women a special claim to be heard on the many questions which will arise directly affecting their interests? I say quite frankly I cannot deny that claim”
Many other people were in favour of women, such as Churchill and Lloyd George, who replaced Asquith’s position as PM. The newspapers the times and the daily mail supported women. The observer (newspaper) stated, “In the past we have opposed the claim. We were wrong”.
However, it would be naïve to say that women received the vote solely for their part in WWI. It must be remembered that only women over 30 were given the vote, any other younger women who may have working during WWI were denied the vote.
If the suffragettes had never campaigned and they had all kept quiet about their views, how would people of known they wanted this? WWI was timed very conveniently and gave the government something to fall back on, as all men were off to join the armed forces. Women took the chance they got to prove themselves decent, but it just so happens this opportunity was given to them during the war. If women were given the major roles that they did during WWI at some other time, who knows what may of happened to the women’s right to vote?
In reality, women were greatly resented in agriculture and industry, men “froze out” women workers, gave them no help and even destroyed their work. Many men could have been considered jealous of the women’s sudden ability to earn a living, many believed that the women was to be at home to look after the children and cook meals.
Women’s war work may have been important in converting some former opponents, but even before this the political alliances and the democratic suffragists had formed in support of their demand had ensured that women would have to be included in any future reform bill.
