Roles of Woman

There was 4 main roles of Woman during WW1 active service, employment, voluntary work and creating change. The first role was Active Service.

Woman in Active service were expected to be either single or widowed. Although some married woman made it through. Woman in the AANS was not allowed to work for the AIF if married during her service. Nurses mainly served in Britain, India, France, Belgium, Mediterranean and the Middle East. The Australian Army Nursing Service (AANS) had 3000 women serving. Only around 20 or more Australian women were surgeons, pathologists, anaesthetists and medical officers in service. Nurses during this time worked under the threat of gunfire, long hours working in makeshift hospitals and seeing wounded, disfigured and deceased soldiers during this time, and many struggled with the change back into a normal civilian life as they had no support from the traumatic events of the war. around 25 women died and many wounded during service.

Some of the women that stayed at home during WW1 took on the role of volunteering and running organization s to help the troops overseas. Some of these organizations consisted of: Australian Women’s National league, Australian Red cross, Country Women’s Association, Voluntary Aid Detachment, Australians Women’s service Corps, Women’s Christian Temperance Union. The volunteer's goal was to bring comfort to the troops in there time at war with items such as: extra clothing such as winter hats, gloves, and scarfs to help with the cold, medicine for those who needed it, tobacco. They also sent over Christmas packages and ANZAC biscuits as other comforts for the soldiers.

Other women took on the roles in the workplace left unfilled by the men in war. Even though women were taking over the roles in the workplace they were still paid less than half of that an average working man. Woman in the work force were able to take up the roles and jobs of clerical workers, bank tellers and typists but were expected to return to housework to make room for the soldiers that returned from war.

After WW1 roles of woman in the workplace decreased compared to 1911. 368,457 before the war (1911), or about 17% of the female population.

436,567 after the war (1921), or about 16% of the female population

After the war the amount of woman in the workplace may have decreased and the country didn't see much change to laws against this, the opportunity to work in the workplace open up opportunities that helped shape womans lives as the nation moved into the 1920s and helped lead the way to working Australian women

While other women were volunteering and working in the workplace some opted to devote their time to making a change. The roles they took on the roles of patriotism, propaganda and politics. The woman that devoted their time to patriotism would often walk around the streets handing a white feather to the men they saw were fit to enlist I the war but had decided not to. They did this to show that they thought the man was a coward.

Those who were apart of propaganda and politics fought for the Womans right to vote and also campaigned against conscription. An organization example of woman was the Women's Peace Army formed in the year 1915. A handful of women made themself know during this time. One of these women was Vida Jane Goldstien.