Search results
Results From The WOW.Com Content Network
Women in World War I were mobilized in unprecedented numbers on all sides. The vast majority of these women were drafted into the civilian work force to replace conscripted men or to work in greatly expanded munitions factories. Thousands served in the military in support roles, and in some countries many saw combat as well.
By the end of the war, there were almost three million women working in factories, around a third of whom were employed in the manufacture of munitions. Working conditions were often extremely hazardous and the women worked long hours for low pay. [2] Munitions work involved mixing explosives, and filling shells and bullets.
During the course of the war, 21,498 U.S. Army nurses (American military nurses were all women then) served in military hospitals in the United States and overseas. Many of these women were positioned near to battlefields, and they tended to over a million soldiers who had been wounded or were unwell.
It also forced the factories to admit more women as employees, because so many of the nation's men were engaged in fighting in the war and male labour was in short supply. [citation needed] Historian Angela Woollacott has estimated that approximately one million women were working in munitions industries by mid 1918. [1]
Some Gretna Girls were exposed to dangerous chemicals and fumes in the course of their work at the factory. [1] Many women reported feeling dizzy, and some lost their hair, teeth, and their skin turned a shade of yellow. [4] Many attributed later health problems to their war work. [4] There were also accidents and explosions at the factory.
Women in America during, World War I, performing farm labor to address the food shortages. During WWI (1914-1918), large numbers of women were recruited into jobs that had either been vacated by men who had gone to fight in the war, or had been created as part of the war effort.
During World War 1, they fought on the front lines for 191 days, longer than any other American unit. And as a result, suffered the most casualties of any American regiment—losing approximately ...
During World War I and World War II, the primary role of women shifted towards employment in munitions factories, agriculture and food rationing, and other areas to fill the gaps left by men who had been drafted into the military. One of the most notable changes during World War II was the inclusion of many of women in regular military units.