The American Civil War marked a defining period in the United States history. The war forced women into public life in ways people may not be able to imagine in a generation. Thousands of women became involved in the war as Civil War nurses. Many women disguised themselves as men during the war so they can fight. This was the first time in many years that the women played a significant role in war.
When the war broke out in August 1914, thousands of women lost their jobs in dressmaking, millenary and jewellery making. Many were in the search for work and wanted to help in the war effort. The introduction of conscription in 1916 led to an increase in the number of women employed in all sectors of the economy. Women gained access to a whole range of jobs that had been previously preserved for men and many questioned whether women were fit to do the work. Although women proved themselves to be hard working and just as capable of doing work as the opposite gender, many also struggled due to the work being dangerous and the poor safety regulations at the time, as source A8 shows.
Almost all jobs men did before they left to fight in the war were now a women’s job. All these jobs were a drastic change from their usual routine of cooking, cleaning and being “baby makers”, though women still got paid less than half of what men were getting paid doing these jobs. Women all across Canada started to realize that there might be something more for them in their future. Since women were doing so much for the war effort, they wanted a share in making decisions about their country. This is when women first began to work for political equality with men.
Ife Otukoya Period 5 Women in the Civil War: Positive or Negative A lot of historians would say that the Civil War took a negative toll on the country, but I say that it was positive. I say it’s positive because first, slaves were allowed to vote, and women’s rights were extended. They were able to take on the jobs and responsibilities once thought to be a man’s. In the present day women are out numbering men in the nursing profession. Before the civil war it was mostly men who were nurses, but since a lot of them went to war, the ladies took on the job.
(Walsh,76) The war also posed serious problems to the British economy and labor industry. This is because men were needed on the front-line. In turn the industries that required male workers suffered a desperate shortage of labor. As a result, women began to take on the role of traditional male occupations; they worked in offices as well as in different industries. Employment statistics from 1914 to 1918 shows a large number of women who worked to replace men’s occupation in different areas.
Abigail Adams reminded her husband to not forget the women in the constitution which is significant because it was the beginning of women’s rights. Women also became more involved and interested in politics, to the distaste of most men. Many women followed their soldiers while at war and took care of the men. There were some women who acted in radical ways (ex. the New York City fire, riots, and letters), which hadn’t previously been so.
The Role of Women in WWII World War II involved a global conflict on a unique scale. Male soldiers were needed, so who was there to run the country back home? All that would be left, would be the women. The hard work of women was represented in the United States by the image of “Rosie the Riveter”, a woman factory laborer performing what was previously considered a man’s job during peace times. Different opportunities, confidence and skill level, now allowed many women to start getting paid.
World War Two required women in the munitions factories and as land girls which due to the shortage of men gave, women a definite place in the working environment, and the argument of women being incapable was now of no consequence. Another huge landmark in feminism was the abolition of the property law that stated that women could not own property; all property would be their husband's or father's. Previous to this in the 60s the birth control pill helped liberate women by giving them highly effective control over their own fertility. As the 60s progressed, the women's liberation movement gained momentum. Later in the 60s the sex discrimination act was put in place, making it illegal to discriminate against someone on the grounds of their gender.
Although women traditionally were excluded from military service and their participation in the Armed Forces was not promoted at the outset of World War II, it soon became apparent that their participation was necessary to win a total war. “ (Women in the Millitary in World War II) As a result, women played an important role in the World War II and they had a great duty to save the world and protect their countries. During World War II, the generally held belief in the United State was that women were incapacitated for several days each month and were accident-prone prior to and during the menses. But those who rebut the woman's body as military liability claims argue that menstruation does not incapacitate or debilitate most women and that "female military nurses have had
As many as 80,000-200,000 such women from Japan, China, South Korea and many Southeast Asian countries worked in these brothels. It is argued that young women from countries under Japanese imperial domination were reportedly abducted from their homes against their will. In some cases, women were also recruited with offers of work in military canteens and factories and subsequently forced to service as comfort women. It has been documented that the Japanese military