During World War I, women of all classes either joined organizations such as the Women's Committee of the Council of National Defense or created their own organizations if they were wealthy enough. Organizations and drives helped with the war effort by providing food for soldiers as well as money for the war. By helping the war effort, it increased the support for women suffrage, as well as contributing to the 19th amendment in 1920.
Since men were off to war, women found it harder to support the family with no one working. So many women decided to take over their husband's jobs in order to provide food for the family. Women worked in factories, and in the government as well providing what is necessary for the war effort. During the war, the Department of Labour created the Women in Industry Service, which later turned into the Women's Bureau. The Women's Bureau strived for better working conditions, and shorter working
days for women.
Men were not the only ones who are fighting on the battlefields. In World War I, groups of women fought in navies such as the Yaomen, and the Army Nurse Corps in the army. This is the first time that women were allowed to fight in wars under the army or the navy. Women not serving as soldiers on the battlefield often were nurses or doctors to tend the wounded soldiers.
Overall, World War I indirectly gave women more rights than they had before. It also lead to an influx of woman suffrage supporters that will eventually lead to women being able to vote and hold office.
Sources:
http://americanhistory.si.edu/collections/object-groups/women-in-wwi
https://www.nwhm.org/online-exhibits/progressiveera/worldwarI.html
http://mith.umd.edu/womensstudies/GenderIssues/WomenInWorkforce/womens-bureau.html
This is a very good post focusing on one of the turning points in the history of the Women's Rights movement. It can be argued that this might have been the most influential time period that showed that women truly deserved equal rights as men. This was a time where women were able to step and and fulfill the male jobs as well as, if not better than, their male counterparts. Their rights did suffer a bit after the war, though, as many jobs were taken back by males. However, overall this was an important time because it gave women opportunities they didn't have before.
ReplyDeleteI think this does a great job at demonstrating the progress when it comes to woman in America It emphasizes the strength women showed by taking on "mans" jobs to provide for their family, while helping provide for the war. It shows how woman broke the stereotype of a "stay at home" wife which most women were expected to be.
ReplyDeleteGreat read about the role of women in WW1. Adding on to how women joined war defense organizations, one reason on why they did this was because America doing all it could to get people to be motivated to help in the war efforts. For instance, liberty gardens were one way of motivating people to help with the war efforts on the homefront. Not only did the gardens drew more women into the workforce, they also helped to improve the economy.
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