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How Did World War 1 Contribute To Women's Equality In Canada

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World War 1 played a crucial role in aiding the movement for female equality in Canada, however, it also hindered it by contributing to the enforcement of gender roles in the workplace. Not one single event will end the constant battle women must endure in all aspects of life, though certain opportunities, such as the job opportunities received during the war, most certainly help women in the fighting of said battle. When numerous jobs were left open by men who were called to the front lines of the war, women were finally presented with the opportunity to work outside of their homes for the first time and provide for their families. Next, generous amounts of awareness of social change were brought to light for women’s contributions throughout …show more content…

This was all that was expected of women at the time and the absolutely zero opportunities set up for them did not help much either especially with the state of the economy at the time which was in a recession (Canada Goes to War). Once it was declared that Canada was going to war, 10,000 Canadians volunteered as they believed the war would only last a few months (Canada Goes to War). This left various jobs wide open for women to fill and finally enter the workforce. 30,000 women worked outside of their homes in factories, offices, and in the countryside to aid their families' farms due to the shortage of male workers (Canada and Total War). They also volunteered their time to create care packages for the men living in horrible conditions, they sent necessities such as pillows, sheets, socks, and scarves (Canada and Total War). Nurses also gained recognition as 2,500 were overseas near the front lines providing immediate care to injured men, 40 women passed away and 20-30 were killed in action (Canada and Total …show more content…

However, it took an embarrassing amount of time for society to realize that this is such a basic right for any citizen of a free country. After World War 1 the world honoured the sacrifices made by women and provided nurses who served as well as immediate female relatives of veterans the right to vote (Canada and Total War). This was a groundbreaking advancement for the movement of female equality in Canada because it finally put them on the same level as the white privileged men of the country however many people of colour were still denied this basic human right. The first time women were voting in 1917, led to all women being able to vote by 1919 as well as women being able to run for positions in government. Overall, women's voting was a critical part of helping the movement for female equality in

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Canada had its own version of ‘Rosie the Riveter’, the symbolic working woman who laboured in factories to help the war effort. Women worked shoulder-to-shoulder with men in factories, on airfields and on farms. They built parts for ships and aircraft and manufactured ammunition. They drove buses, taxis and streetcars. This level of female participation in the workplace was a first for Canada - thousands of Canadian women proving they had the skills, strength and ability to do the work that men did.”

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While the men went off for war, women found themselves getting jobs. 30,000 worked in munition factories, 1000 were employed in the air force, 2000 were nurses, and rural women became farmettes. The paychecks provided a freedom that women had not had before the war. Gaining confidence, women broke their stereotypical role in society by taking on typically men dominated jobs. This led to the 1917 Wartime Election Act that allowed a temporary vote to nurses and anyone related or wed to soldiers, however, this was a strategic way for Robert Borden to pass conscription.

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However, in 1917, the Wartime Elections Act was established, allowing only women with men relatives in the military participate federal vote because suffragists campaigned for the right to vote on the basis of women's contribution to the war effort (Jackel par. 7). Therefore, women who were granted Canadian citizenship after 1902, lost their right to vote (Jackel par. 7). Despite this, in 1922, under certain requirements, such as being over the age of 21, women were eligible to vote in federal elections (Jackel Par. 8).

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The years of the war was tiring and strenuous not only for the soldiers at war, but also for the women who were toughing it out on the home front. After clocking in long hours at the factory building machines and vehicles needed for the war, they still had to perform their household duties. But, many were happy and willing to do so, as working outside of their homes and helming jobs that they never did before was how women showed their patriotism for their country. Women had to maintain the industrial as well as the agricultural sectors in order to ensure that the American society could continue to function, and to help the allies in the war (“Brock, J., Dickey, J. W., Harker, R., & Lewis, C”, 2015). New opportunities were also made available for women in white-collar sectors.

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