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The role of women wwI
The role of women wwI
The changes of australians in world war 1 in the world of womens society
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FRONTLINE SOLDIER:
There were many different and important roles for men who went to fight during World War One. Some soldiers could be in the infantry whilst others worked as ambulance drivers, cooks, engineers and medics to name a few.
Many volunteers were able to use the skills learned from their jobs at home to help the war effort. They joined the Armed Forces which consisted of the Navy, Army and Air Force (Royal Flying Corps). They would join the service where their skills were most useful.
By 1916 the Armed Forces were so short of men that a law was passed forcing men to join up. This was called 'conscription'. Many men had never even left their home town or village before but soon they were in the thick of battles. At first, unmarried
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They served in places such as Egypt, Lemnos, England, France, Belgium, Greece, Palestine and India. About 2139 nurses served overseas between 1914 and 1919, while many worked in military hospitals in Australia. Seven women received the Military Medal during the war.
When the first World War 1 started, many Australian men – underage or not, volunteered themselves to protect and take pride in their country. The Australian women weren’t allowed into the war, unless they were actively involved as nurses that nursed the injured soldiers, and also if they were involved in other active service duties. Many people recognise the only contribution women had in war were the nursing of the wounded, but nobody truly acknowledges the woman that stayed back in Australia (home front) had a much more stressful and difficult job. These home front women had to deal with the consequences that the war brought; having the strength to manage children and keep everyone together as a family. Not only did they stress enough over the family responsibilities, but also the resource shortages in food and products etc. Most difficulty, the sorrowful women of Australia had to endure the painful fears they had of the future, and the grief and trauma of losing their loved
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In fact, the only women who did were the ones doing domestic serving roles with very low pay. At the start of World War 1, the number of woman who had jobs increased a bit, but mostly in the food, clothing and printing industries.
In 1942, the role of home front women changed incredibly as more men entered the army, so the women had to fill in for them. Even though they were working a ‘men’s job’ as a woman, it wasn’t a permanent position, as they’d have to resign once the men returned from the war. Also, they were paid quite poorly (lower rates) compared to what the men would usually be paid, but were thankful for the money they were
The first draft of Sisters left Australia in September 1914 and throughout the war, the Nursing Service served wherever Australian troops were sent. A number were also sent to British medical units in various theatres of war.
During the World War II era, the outlook on the role of women in Australian society revolutionised. As a majority of men were at war, Australian women were encouraged to rise above and beyond their stereotypical ‘housewife’ status. They were required to take on the tasks that were once considered predominantly male roles, and also allowed the opportunity to join the armed services as well as enlist in the Women’s Land Army. Many women who doubted their abilities played their part by entering voluntary work. Women had the privilege of contributing in Australian society in many ways that they had never been able before. Thus, it is manifest that the role of women in Australian society had drastically changed.
At the beginning of the war, 20,00 men enlisted to fight in the war, which was 2.5% of the possible pool of over 800,000 eligible men, this number then increased to 50,000 at the end of the first year. This was a good representation of the rush that there was to enlist which was largely due to all of the mythical representations of the war and also the rewards for enlisting which included the chance to travel Europe with a decent pay of 6 shillings a day 3 times what a British troop would have earned and also the reward of honour and respect. The war was also seen as al...
These men would register with the Selective Service therefore they could be found easily in a time of need. The draft required these young men to sign up to serve their country involuntarily because it was to benefit the country, to make it easier
Firstly, women played key supportive roles in the army, even though they were not necessarily foot soldiers; they still contributed greatly to the allied victory in World War Two. When Canada finally decided to allow women to participate in the war, many did not hesitate and was willing to sacrifice their life to protect their country. There were a total of 16221 women enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF), 20497 in the Canadian Women’s Army Corps (CWAC), 6665 in the Women’s Royal Canadian Naval Service (WRCNS), and later on in the war about 4439 women entered the nursing servic...
During the war, women played a vital role in the workforce because all of the men had to go fight overseas and left their jobs. This forced women to work in factories and volunteer for war time measures.
Because many men were involved in the war, women finally had their chance to take on many of the positions of a man. Some women served directly in the military and some served in volunteer agencies at home and in France. For a brief period, from 1917 to 1918, one million women worked in industry. Others not involved in the military and industry engaged in jobs such as streetcar conductors and bricklayers. But as the war started to end, women lost their jobs to the returning veterans.
During the majority of the war, men were guided into civilian and military positions through a policy that the Selective Service Director Lewis B. Hershey called "channeling." The draft system used induction as a threat to "channel" people into more desirable pursuits that were in the interests of the nation. For instance, an engineer earned a deferment from the war because he was needed at home while a person who did not have a deferment could be inducted into the army. For every solider in combat, there were many other positions that needed to be filled...
In World War 1, British women broke through traditional roles and worked as nurses on
In December 1941, the government conscripted single women aged 20-30 as auxiliaries to the Armed Forces, Civil Defense, or war industries… Government figures show that women’s employment increased during the Second World War from about 5.1 million in 1939 (26%) to just over 7.25 million in 1943 (36% of all women of working age). Forty six percent of all women aged between 14 and 59, and 90% of all able-bodied single women between the ages of 18 and 40 were engaged in some form of work or National Service by September 1943. (Anitha)
The women during the war felt an obligation to assist in one form or another. Many stayed at home to watch over the children, while others felt a more direct or indirect approach was necessary. Amongst the most common path women took to support the war, many "served as clerks...filled the ammunition cartridges and artillery shells with powder at armories, laboring at this dangerous and exacting task for low wages. Both sides utilized women in these capacities (Volo 170)." Women that stayed away from battlefields supported their respected armies by taking the jobs that men left behind. They were the grease in the gears of war, the individuals working behind the scenes so that the men would be prepared, ready to fight with functioning weapons and operational gear.
Many women during WWII experienced things that they had never done before. Before the war began women were supposed to be “perfect”. The house always had to be clean, dinner ready on the table, laundry done, and have themselves as well as their children ready for every event of the day. Once the war began and men were drafted, women had to take on the men’s role as well as their own. Women now fixed cars, worked in factories, played baseball, handled the finances, and so forth. So, what challenges and opportunities did women face on the home front during WWII? Women had many opportunities like playing baseball and working, they also faced many hardships, such as not having enough food, money, and clothing.
Approximately 420 of these women served in Australia. Australian nurses served in military hospitals, medical ships and tent hospitals near battlefields. World War 1 was the first time in Australian history that women had made a comprehensive contribution to the war effort outside home. These women saw first hand illness, wounds, deaths and emotional anguish that the war produced. The nurses were placed in jeopardy and difficult conditions. They worked lengthy hours with insubstantial supplies causing physical and emotional stress. This is strongly indicated in Source 2 a portion of a letter from Lydia King - War Nurse. It is describing the extreme situation that nurses had to face everyday. The hopelessness they felt and the extreme pressures they were placed in was indescribable. The tone of her words in the letter reflects strength, compassion, determination and bravery. It is a reliable primary source of evidence as it provides a piece of history to the audience in order to connect with the nurses awful experience. Australian Army nurses received national acknowledgement in 1999. Source 7 a secondary source is a memorial located in Canberra dedicated to the Australian Army nurses both past and present for their courage and compassion. This source truly reflects the value of Australian Army nurses and depicts that Australia is proud of
We now know women suddenly started doing other work than the domestic work they formerly had done. In addition to this they were still expected to do all the work at home while serving as a mother for their families. This means that domestic life did not disappear although the women did both the men’s and their original domestic-work. Considering the hard work and the amount of work they had to do, World War 1 was both
World War 1 was a time filled with trauma, despair, and hardships. Women had limited freedoms such as being able to vote, being confined at home, and having less than half of the rights men were able to have.