Women in World War One

Canadian women took on the roles of men in the manufacturing industry.  It is estimated that over women were employed in making weapons of war.  Women also took on the roles of streetcar drivers, office managers and secretaries. Most importantly they took on farm labour jobs.  Women without paying jobs knitted socks, sent packages and visited grieving families. Meeting the needs of industry

Factory Women Women had their first opportunity to enter skilled jobs when world war one began and men left for battle..

 Men in the army needed treatment for their wounds, so women filled the void.  There were over 3000 women employed as military nurses, known as “bluebirds”. The name came from the tell-tale blue smocks they wore.  Military nurses willingly shared all of the dangers of warfare and lost their live to German attacks on hospitals.  In addition to being nurses, Bluebirds were also employed as ambulance drivers. The army medical corps

The Blue Birds Canadian bluebird nurses in WWI. These women would have served overseas treating the wounded.

 Some Canadian men and women were tired of the brutality of war. This led to some of the first pacifist movements.  These movements gained momentum after the full horrors of WWI were revealed.  Interestingly enough Laura Hughes, the niece of Sir Sam Hughes was a passionate pacifist. Pacifists

Pacifist Demonstrations Members of the Women's Peace Party arrive for the International Congress of Women, a four-day antiwar protest held at The Hague. Frieda Lawrence and Jane Addams have their names written above them.

 Prime Minister Borden passed the wartime elections act just before the 1917 election, which took away the right to vote from emigrants from opposing countries.  This act also allowed female nurses and close relatives of soldiers to vote.  Sadly this act was unfair to women who opposed conscription, as they would not be able to vote. All women gained the right to vote in 1918 but could not be elected to parliament.  The first woman elected to parliament was Agnes Macphail, who was elected in Gaining the Vote

The First Votes

 Agnes Macphail was elected to parliament in  She was the first woman elected in Canada. Agnes Macphail

Women played many roles in the war but some of the most important were:  Taking on roles and jobs left by men at war  Producing weapons of war  Picking crops  Knitting socks and visiting grieving families  Keeping families together  Providing medical care for soldiers on the front lines Summary: Roles of women in WWI

Women in the War: Concluded

The tragedy of WWI actually created some of the first steps towards gender equality, these steps were:  Allowing women into skilled labour for the first time (such as building guns and grenades)  Allowing women into otherwise male dominated roles (office managers, streetcar drivers, secretaries etc.)  Giving some women the opportunity to vote Opportunities created for women by WWI