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Women and the war
Topic : Women and the war
In this topic you will learn...
Chapter 1 :
The roles of women in the war
The government believed that women belonged at home, not in the war effort
While the men were away fighting, women had to deal with the emotional burden of waiting for their loved ones to return
Although Australia had granted female suffrage there was still not equality of pay for women
Women in Britain were authorised to work in factories, however Australian women were not
Some women took up positions in areas such as bookkeeping and banking that had been left vacant by the men who had gone to war
Voluntary organisations like the Red Cross and the Australian Comforts Fund raised money and made parcels to send overseas to the soldiers
During the war children were required to participate in fundraising efforts, and were shaped into gendered roles which imitated the roles of the adults at the time
The working class did not have the time or the money to manage a large contribution, causing many to believe that their inadequate efforts were an indication of disloyalty
Propaganda targeted women in two ways: by evoking emotive reponses from them towards recruitment and conscription; and by depicting them in campaigns designed to receive sympathetic responses from men
Chapter 2 :
Nursing
Women were permitted by the government to be involved in the war as nurses, since this was considered to be a traditional female role
The Australian Army Nursing Service was founded in 1903 and was staffed by part-time volunteers
Women's medical contributions to nursing went relatively unrecognised
The Royal Red Cross was awarded to several nurses for their bravery and service during World War I, and the Military Medal was an even higher honour for bravery under fire
Nurses served in hospitals, hospital ships and tent-hospitals, in countries which included Egypt, France and Mesopotamia
Nurses were required to be decisive, strong, resourceful and efficient, while staying cheerful and supportive of their patients
Not only were the hospitals understaffed and without adequate supplies, but nurses also had to suffer the same harsh climate and unvaried food as the soldiers
Chapter 3 :
The domestic effects on women
The lack of eligible young men after the war affected the young women who would normally have been getting married and having children
Women continued to further their education in the areas of vocational education, nursing and teaching, but often ceased employment or education upon marriage
While it was believed that men would resume their positions once returned from the war, many men did not come back and women were left to fill the roles
After the war, women turned away from regimental fashion styles of the British which were inappropriate to the Australian climate, to a more relaxed and more daring style which imitated the American style of the time
Technology began to advance, resulting in the mass production of clothing as well as the invention of household appliances which made life easier for those who could afford them
Women gained more independence and it became socially acceptable for them to smoke and drink in public
Working-class women did not feel more free and independent, having to spend the majority of their time and money on simply looking after their family
Chapter 4 :
The economic effects on women
In the excitement of the outbreak of war, Australian women did not consider that they could be left as widows
Prior to 1914 there was no national compensation scheme for returned servicemen in Australia
Since a compensation scheme for Australia was a growing necessity, the Commonwealth government introduced the War Pensions Act 1914 (Cth), which was modelled on the British system.
The Act included compensation for ex-servicemen who were physically and mentally affected or killed as a result of active service overseas or on a ship
The payment could me made out to the men themselves or their dependents, which included their wives and children
While the soldier`s wage was seen to be decent wage in 1914, after considering the conditions that soldiers had to endure it did not seem so generous
Unlike the upper class, many working-class women often worked long hours for very low pay to then come home and care for the family
Women whose husbands were incapacitated and unable to work received only £52 per annum and often needed to be cared for as well, whereas widows received £78 and could take up employment
Compensation payments were contingent upon the percentage of the veteran`s incapacity and also their military rank
De facto relationships were not recognised and remarriage limited women from receiving compensation payments
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