1. Women and WW1 Standard Grade History Scotland and Britain

2. Women and WW1 Lesson Starter 1.Name the two different groups that tried to get the vote for women. 2.What was the difference between these two groups?

3. Learning Intentions Today I will learn about women’s role in WW1 I will learn how attitudes changed as a result

4. Manpower The early rush of volunteers and later the conscription of men led to a shortage of manpower on the home front. In turn, women were encouraged to engage in other forms of work normally done by men.

5. Role of Women before WW1 Before the war, most women were content to stay at home to bring up a family and carry out domestic work. Some women had to work for financial reasons. Only “OK” for single women to work – nurses and teachers.

6. Munitions At first, women worked mainly in munitions. A vital service that grew dramatically. Not a safe working environment.

7. Munitions

8. From 1916… From 1916, as conscription became a more pressing issue and casualty rates began to spiral out of control the government tried to persuade women into all sectors of the workplace.

9. Work women did during WW1

10. Agriculture Women’s Land Army established in 1917. Hard work, hours long – many preferred factory work. Women had to take on hard “male jobs” – eg. Ploughing fields. Poster campaign to recruit women from towns to work on farms.

11. Agriculture

12. Transport Women worked as tram and bus conductors. Became train drivers.

13. Women’s Royal Navy Service

14. Women’s Royal Air Force

15. Women’s Police Service

16. Middle Class Women More likely to work as nurses with the VAD Worked as factory supervisors Employment with either local or national government Many women took responsibility for running the family business while male family members fought in the war.

17. Role of Women after WW1 The war gave women the opportunity to show that they were equal to men. People realised that women could make contributions in the workplace as well as at home. WW1 could be said to have begun the movement for equal opportunities for men and women.