Effect on Women of WW1／WW2

Focus of the topic: The role of women during World War I and World War II and its impact on gender equality.

Background Info:

• Before WWI and WWII, women were expected to stay at home and their role was primarily domestic.
• Only a quarter of women worked outside the home, and they were expected to leave their jobs once they had children.

Body:

WWI:

• During WWI, a large number of women took up jobs that were vacated by men who went to fight in the war.
  • These jobs included railway guards, ticket collectors, police, and more.
  • The employment rate for women rose to 47%, including married women.
• Benefits:
  • The protest movement for wage rise spread among women.
    • This movement spread to other areas and eventually led to women gaining the right to vote in 1919, after the Woman Suffrage movement.
    • Societies like NUWSS focused largely on political activity during the war.
  • Women’s presence in society increased.
  • Women gained new skills, which helped them in their fight for equal rights.
• Disadvantages:
  • Women were paid less than men for the same job, typically 50%-60% of men’s wages.
    • Even after the war, some women continued working but with lower wages than men.
  • Some jobs, such as handling TNT, were dangerous and caused health issues, earning women the nickname “canaries” due to their yellow skin.
  • Emotional costs were high, with 600,000 war widows in France and the loss and worry felt by women.
• Summary: In the short-term, there were more disadvantages, but women were able to take a step towards equality in the long-term.

WWII:

• Similarly to WWI, women were once again required to work during WWII.
  • In 1944, there were 19 million women working.
  • Unlike in WWI, women were given higher-responsibility jobs, including military roles as armed forces and pilots.
• Benefits:
  • Attitudes towards women started to change as they worked hard and proved themselves in their jobs.
    • Many men who previously did not accept women in the workplace changed their views.
    • Equal pay became compulsory in some states.
  • More women entered the workforce, but they were still pressured to leave their jobs.
  • Women gained new skills in their new jobs.
  • Historian Winkler identified reasons for women joining the war efforts, including a desire to escape the monotony of domestic work, earn money and enjoy independence, and a sense of nationalism and patriotic motivation.
• Disadvantages:
  • Many women returned to their traditional roles after the war and were excluded from well-paid jobs.
  • Women still faced lower wages and a higher risk of being fired in many places.
• Summary: While there were still disadvantages and inequalities, the war efforts helped advance the women’s rights movement in the long-term.

Conclusion: The experiences of women during WWI and WWII had a significant impact on gender equality. Despite the disadvantages and challenges they faced, women gained new skills, increased their presence in society, and fought for equal rights. Although inequalities persisted, the war efforts helped pave the way for progress in the long-term.

Possible Essay Questions:

1. Discuss the role of women during World War I and World War II and the impact it had on gender equality.
2. Analyze the benefits and disadvantages that women experienced during WWI and WWII in relation to their fight for equal rights.
3. Evaluate the long-term effects of women’s participation in the workforce during WWI and WWII on gender equality.

Resources:

• WikiLink1
• WikiLink2
• [Link1]
• [Link2]

Notes:

• It is unlikely that the essay question on women in different regions will be exactly the same, so it may be safe to skip the section on women in Asia for now.