Radcliffe

WW1husbands' permission. Britain's women were mostly tied to a life of domesticity.The Women's Suffrage Movement worked tirelessly to change this in the years leading up to the war. They were seen as troublemakers. Some men found it demeaning to have to deal directly with women.When war came women were needed in large numbers and received a greater acceptance than during the years of Suffragette campaigning.

Many women had worked before the war but over 1.5 million were working for the first time alongside over a million who volunteered to keep society going by fund raising, housing

SuffragettesWhether rich or poor in 1914 women were not equal to men. Women could not vote. Married women could neither own property nor take custody of their children without their

HOW DID THE WARCHANGE ATTITUDES

The White Feather MovementIn August 1914 at the start of the war Admiral Fitzgerald founded the controversial “Order of the White Feather.” The organisation aimed to shame men into enlisting in the British Army by persuading women to present them with a white feather if they were not in uniform.Kitchener’s army was initially based on volunteers; it was necessary to have powerful recruitment campaigns in order to have enough soldiers.Women were not allowed to fight. They were enthusiastic about this campaign because it was a way of showing their patriotism and was a recognition that they had influence and bore responsibility.This was seen as a new role for women. Before the war they were seen as wives, daughters and mothers - not as individuals.

Impact of the WarThe work was hard but it led to more independence for some women. Meeting new friends from different backgrounds and having money to spend, or to go dancing, without asking anyone's permission was freedom indeed.Women's fashions changed sometimes out of necessity. For work related reasons hemlines moved up 6 inches from ankle length and women began to wear trousers. Corsets declined in popularity and hair became shorter.

TOWARDS WOMEN?

Miss Billington at Westminster

refugees, running canteens as well as the “Queen Mary Appeal” to knit garments for soldiers.By December 1918, it was estimated that 35,000 women were employedon war contracts in Nottingham.

An appeal for knitters

Women showed they could do the work as well as men. They began to demand “equal pay from equal work.” The Trade Unions had not tried to organise women before 1914 but in 1916 the local Trades Council recognised the significance of women in the workforce. 500 women were recruited to the General Workers' Union in a 6 week period.

Keeping the Home Front MovingBy 1915 as men left their jobs and went overseas to fight, hundreds of thousands of women were employed in industries key to the war effort.

When the war came to an end in 1918 and men returned home, thousands of women were dismissed from their jobs. However, women had tasted freedom and their increased expectations meant there was no going back.Women would have to wait until 1928 to be granted the vote on equal terms with British men. This was brought by the Representation of the People Act, which stated all women over the age of 21 could vote.

Nottingham women in trousers: window cleaners, 1917

Nottingham Evening Post 9th December 1918

Exchange Buildings Market Square Nottingham1915