women during wwi
A Change in Jobs
During World War I, many of the women stayed back and "fought" the war on the home front. This meant that they took over the jobs that men did before going to war. Their participation in our industries improved drastically as there was more jobs open to them from various fields. They occupied jobs such as nurses, farmers, factory workers, and even joined the army and the navy. All of these efforts improved the war on the home front and because the women essentially provided the food for the soldiers;we couldn't have done it without them. And due to their work and the suffragettes, the 19th Amendment was passed in 1920, and it gave women the right to vote. |
This change in jobs also helped women realize that they could be just as successful in the workplace as men, contrary to the gender roles that placed women in the home. Because of this, some women began to question their role in the home, and eventually, in the 1920's they began to protest against it.
Prior to World War I, of all women employed in the manufacturing industries, three-fourths were making wearing apparel or its materials, food, or tobacco products. During the World War the number of women in industry increased greatly and the range of occupations open to them was extended.