Line of Argument
World War I brought significant cultural and political changes in all spheres of life. The demographic, economic, social, and political impacts on women included voting rights, access to education, and better jobs, and changing of women’s positions in society.
Introduction
World War I and its aftermath were a time of significant cultural and political changes in all spheres of life, with old traditions and societal norms crumbling and giving way to new possibilities. The demographic, economic, social, and political impacts were immense, and the challenges they presented required revolutionary solutions. Global mobilization of human resources required women to take on new jobs, replacing men in their traditional positions and influencing the societal perception of gender roles. The resulting rise of feminist movements like the suffragists helped women to achieve goals they had been chasing for decades. Those include voting rights, equal and quality education, better jobs and payments, and changing the global perception of women’s societal role.
Demographic and Economic Impact
Post-war France perfectly illustrates how a significant change in the sex ratio among adults impacted the labor market in the country. Eight out of ten men aged 15 to 50 before the war were conscripted, and with a military death rate of 16%, this brought significant changes in the distribution of labor in the country for the next few years. Women started working in jobs like heavy industry, munitions, and police work, influencing men’s beliefs about gender roles. In post-war France, female workforce inclusion rates increased by 12% relative to pre-war levels, driven by single women and war widows.
Women entering the workforce during and after the war opened the possibilities for the next generations of women, eventually leading to more progressive views on the female labor force. A notable example of this shift in job distribution in the United States is how the percentage of women working on the railway jumped from 2% to almost half during 1914. Similar processes occurred in other countries like the British Empire, where approximately eighty thousand women served in the army as non-combatants. However, British women lobbied to be allowed to have rifle training and bear arms for home defense, eventually gaining the right in December 1941.
Socio-political Impact
Perhaps, the most famous consequence of broader women’s employment and involvement in World War I is the widening enfranchisement of women as a direct result of recognizing their wartime contribution. While women did not have the right to vote before the war, this began to change immediately. For example, the Dussaussoy-Buisson bill, granting women voting rights, gained overwhelming support in 1919 France, indicating an increase in female suffrage support from 30% to 80% after the war. In 1918 Britain, the vote was given to property-owning women over the age of 30, coming down to 21 ten years later.
Passed by the United States Congress on June 4, 1919, after decades of protest, and ratified on August 18, 1920, the 19th amendment granted American women the right to vote. The same processes occurred in other countries, indicating the global shift in gender politics. Throughout World War I, women recreated themselves in the social context, first presenting themselves as protective and caring and then as fighting and valiant, shifting from pacifism to patriotism as the world around them was shifting. During and after the war, American women took on different images to be included in the rhetorical practices they supported.
This approach brought several beneficial changes through traditional societal roles, placing women as public speakers in their communities and bringing attention to their voices, gaining them some semblance of power. Nevertheless, the war did not significantly change women’s positions or societal impact. They were strongly encouraged to return to domestic work and take on their former roles as wives and mothers. In the aftermath of the war, women’s roles remained largely the same, focusing on motherhood, positioning them disadvantageously within the gendered status quo.
Educational Impact
Significant improvements in female education happened, mainly thanks to individual initiatives and the pioneering work of the Association for Promoting the Higher Education of Women. Oxford University was among the first to establish women’s colleges, granting women degrees since 1920. Previously destined for the roles of homemakers and maids, women began occupying positions held traditionally exclusively by men, entering the working class.
This, in turn, led to a rise in the female suffrage movement as women became increasingly politically active. Women worldwide gained new social and economic options and stronger political voices, even if they were still viewed mainly as mothers first. However, divorces for women became easier, rising tenfold in number from 1910 to 1939 due to women wanting small families. This, in turn, gave women the possibility to pursue higher education, resulting in a significant increase in university degrees granted to women, particularly in STEM.
Conclusion
Despite women gaining voting rights, increased job possibilities, and a shift in the public’s imagination regarding women’s role in society, there was still a long struggle ahead for equal treatment and respect. Nevertheless, the achievements gained during the war left a significant long-term legacy. Even with the governmental efforts to go back to the previously held status quo, particularly with the British 1919 Restoration of Pre-War Practices Act, women managed to keep some of their political and cultural gains. Getting better education, higher and more diverse job qualifications and a stronger political voice eventually led to a rise in various women’s rights movements worldwide, as evident nowadays.