World War I: Women's Role In Society

682 Words3 Pages

Women played a significant role during World War I. As men went to war, they had more opportunities than ever before. The war caused a huge impact to society back then and society today. It made new possibilities available for women like the right to vote and being elected as members of Parliament. Women gained a plethora of job opportunities, helped serve in the war and had to live independently. Before World War I all started, the roles of women were housewives and did not have much rights in the society. The previous jobs of women included cleaning and caring for the house, taking care of the children, managing the yard, sewing clothes, and many more. They were often looked down on compared to men. Although “women were judged by their beauty rather than by their ability” (Kim, “Where Women Worked During World War I”), they helped contributed in society and had equivalent skills just like men. The war was the one opportunity that demonstrated the women’s abilities and what they were capable of. Then, when the war began, old and new job opportunities opened up and women were the ones filling in the spots. Some of the job opportunities included working in factories, business clerks, nursing, machine shops, and many more. A majority of women who worked were either unmarried or widows. Only some married women …show more content…

They were able to play a significant role and were able to show the skills they had during the war. The war led to new changes and contributed to the lives of women. People were able to realize the usefulness of women if it were not for the war. It showed that women could dominate too in a male-dominated society. Women could do much more than staying at home and caring for their children. Today, women are given a plethora of job opportunities to choose from, able to participate in almost anything, and are able to be independent. They are highly respected and are just as powerful as men in today’s