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Women in WWI

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Women in WWI

Read the briefing, then investigate the evidence. Use details from the briefing to support your answers. Write in full sentences where asked.

Briefing: work, risk and change

When Britain entered the First World War in 1914, large numbers of men joined the armed forces. Women took on work that had often been done by men, as well as expanding their existing roles. They worked in transport, shops, offices, farms and factories. In munitions factories, women known as munition workers or munitionettes made and handled explosives, shells and other supplies. The work could be dangerous: toxic chemicals might turn workers’ skin yellow, earning some the nickname “Canary Girls”, and explosions or fires could cause serious injuries or deaths. Some women supported the wounded. Members of Voluntary Aid Detachments (VADs) worked as nurses and hospital helpers, often alongside trained staff. The Women’s Land Army, formed in 1917, helped increase food production by working on farms. Women also served in organisations such as the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps and the Women’s Royal Naval Service, usually in support roles rather than combat. Women’s wartime work did not automatically bring equal treatment or equal rights. After the war, many women were expected to leave jobs as servicemen returned. However, the Representation of the People Act 1918 gave the vote to some women aged 30 or over who met property qualifications. Most men could vote from age 21. Equal voting terms for women and men came in 1928. The war helped make women’s contribution more visible, but change was gradual and hard-won.

Investigate the evidence

Answer each question using the briefing and your own reasoning.

1.A newspaper editor wants a precise headline about munitionettes. Which headline is best supported by the briefing?

Women replaced every man in Britain’s factories.
Women made vital munitions, but faced dangerous conditions.
Women worked only as nurses during the war.
All women received equal pay and voting rights in 1914.

2.Match each group or organisation to its wartime role.

Munitionettes
VAD members
Women’s Land Army
Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps

Worked on farms to help produce food
Made and handled shells and explosives
Helped care for wounded people in hospitals
Served in support roles for the army

3.True or false? The Women’s Land Army was formed to help increase food production.

TrueFalse

4.Complete the sentence: Some munition workers were nicknamed “Canary Girls” because toxic chemicals could turn their skin .

5.Give two different kinds of work women took on during the war, and explain how each helped Britain.

6.The briefing says factory work could be dangerous. Name two risks munition workers faced.

7.In 1918, some women aged 30 or over gained the vote if they met property qualifications. Did this mean women and men had equal voting rights then? Explain your answer.

8.A friend says, “The war immediately gave all women permanent equality at work.” Use two details from the briefing to show why this claim is misleading.

9.Why might women’s wartime contributions have helped change opinions about women’s place in society? Give one reason and support it with an example from the briefing.

10.Imagine you are writing a museum caption about women’s work in WWI. Write one sentence that recognises both women’s contribution and one limit or difficulty they faced.