How did world war one affect opportunities for women in Britain?
… were usually thought of as unsuitable for women because they were too “demanding”. Despite this, there were still limited employment opportunities for women, basically because the government was still reluctant to send them to work. This negative attitude towards women resulted in a campaign for women to be more involved in the war effort, organised by the Women’s Social and Political Union (WSPU) -led by Mrs Pankhurst. This took place in the form of a march in the centre of London. 30,000 women participated. In 1915, women’s involvement in the war increased, however this was due to necessity rather than pressure from the suffragettes. In 1915 there was a munitions crises-there was a shortage of shells and other munitions. This shortage forced the government to realise how important it was for women to work during the war. The government needed to employ women to make shells in munitions factories. To encourage women …
