Women in the War Time Economy
From 1915 women crowded into munition factories, soon becoming the most vital force behind Britain’s armaments output. Initially the government were not keen to mobilise women as they (like society’s wide held opinion at the time) believed women were better suited to jobs such as nursing and volunteer work. Although, due to the introduction of conscription in1916, the fact could no longer be ignored that it was crucial to employ women. The government set forth a strategic plan to achieve this through campaigns and recruitment drives. Some female workers continued to work alongside men in the textiles industry (producing uniforms) but at the same time a dramatic shift was seen to women working in metal factories- creating materials such as munitions. This shift from domestic service to industrial work escalated more than had never been seen before. Women had become the key economic force of the nation.
Women became active in many areas of economic life such as transport, agriculture (such as The Women's Land Army) and clerical work. It was common to see a woman as a railway guard, ticket collector, bus and tram conductors, postal worker, police or firefighter . The introduction of women to these career paths were unprecedented. In 1917 munition factories were now predominately women workers and 80% of the weapons and shells used by the British Army were produced there. The Munition factory became the largest single employer of women during 1918, although women in these jobs risked their safety every day. These women known as ‘canaries’ were forced to handle TNT on a daily basis often turning their skin yellow and had inadequate safety clothing. Around 400 women died from overexposure to TNT during World War 1. |
"If your piece of steel is a thousandth too small, there will be a minute fraction of powder missing, and the fuse may go off too early. The shell will either not hit the enemy, or will hit your own lines. …There is no tolerance in tools like these. There is no tolerance in death.”
- Josephine Von Miklos |