The Role of Women in the First World War

The video explores the significant roles women played during WWI, challenging traditional gender roles. Women worked in munitions factories, served as nurses, and even participated in combat. Their contributions were crucial to the war effort, yet they faced discrimination and were often underpaid. The war led to social changes, including shifts in women's employment and the push for suffrage. Postwar, women gained new social and economic opportunities, though many traditional views persisted. The episode concludes with plans for future detailed explorations of women's roles in WWI.

What roles did women take on during the First World War?

• Only in clerical positions

• Only in agriculture

• As nurses, munitions factory workers, and spies

• Only as nurses

How many women replaced men at their jobs in Britain during the war?

• 2 million

• 500,000

• 3 million

• 1 million

What percentage of the weapons and shells used by the British Army were produced by munitionettes?

• 80%

• 70%

• 50%

• 60%

What nickname was given to women working with sulfur in munitions factories?

• Canaries

• Robins

• Sparrows

• Bluebirds

Who was the only woman soldier to enlist in the British Army by passing herself off as a man?

• Denis Smith

• Maria Bochkareva

• Flora Sandes

• Dorothy Lawrence

Which revolutionary leader did Maria Bochkareva convince to form a battalion made exclusively of women?

• Vladimir Lenin

• Alexander Kerensky

• Joseph Stalin

• Leon Trotsky

How many women served in the three armed forces in Britain during the war?

• 60,000

• 50,000

• 70,000

• 80,000

What was the purpose of the white feather campaigns in Britain?

• To shame non-uniformed men into enlisting

• To raise funds for the war

• To honor women in the workforce

• To promote women's suffrage

When did women in the USA gain the right to vote?

• 1918

• 1919

• 1920

• 1921

What significant cultural change occurred for women after the First World War?

• More traditional roles

• Less social interaction

• Shorter hair and skirts

• Longer hair and skirts