The lives of women on the home front were greatly affected by World War One.

How useful and reliable are these sources in explaining how womens lives were affected by World War I? The First World War had an almost transformative effect on the lives of women; it can be argued that the events of World War I (WWI) became the turning point for women within modern society. WWI became the first opportunity for women to pursue work outside of the domestic field which had always been considered to be norm and also the extent to which women could contribute to labour. Women became accustomed to a higher wage, independence and also the idea of options or different jobs. This essay will examine the reliability, validity and limitations of sources A1, A2, A5, A6 and A10 in relation to exploring how the lives of women were affected by WW1 The first source was a poster advertising recruitment of women for agricultural and farm work in women's land army (1917). This poster illustrated a new role for women to fulfil; their help was being required in a new form. Women usually stayed at home, were mothers and did housekeeping. Working, especially manual work like this showed a shift in mentality towards the role women play in society. Suddenly women from all over the country had a huge role to take on all over the country as there was a 'national' need for them. Women became a necessity to help the country to function correctly while the war was being fought. If they had not taken on new roles on working environment then this could have greatly damaged Britain. The source is reliable in the sense that it is a governmental poster from the time of WWI showing there was a genuine, national need for women to work. However it can also be considered as propaganda to serve other uses such as giving the illusion of female work being a requirement. The purpose of this poster is to encourage women to work as it could not force women to change the routine of housework that they were accustomed too. This poster therefore plays on emotions in that their help is REQUIRED by their country. Source A1 illustrates how war played a major role in bringing political equality for women. It was the starting point of achieving equality between men and women in Britain; the cause the Suffragettes had been fighting for was being acknowledged and reciprocated by government. This was accomplished all because of the duties women took up in place of the men who were fighting to keep Britain strong. This source strengthens the idea that the war brought a positive change for women. The information can also be considered reliable as it is from a website aimed at GCSE students, they would try to provide as accurate information as possible. However it cannot be considered the complete story as it does not explain exactly what kind of political support they were given and whether it actually helped. Source A2 demonstrated that the number of women working in different industries steadily increased during war time (1914-1918). The numbers for each type of industry increased by 1918, apart from domestic service; this could possibly be because women were required in more important types of work and were taken away from domestic service work to fulfil other roles. However although these governmental statistics do report an increase, the extent of their accuracy and reliability can be questioned as it is unclear how straightforward

it was to make statistical reports during wartime. Source A1 and A2 support each other in regards to validating the idea of WW1 being a turning point for women and their status in society Source A5 revealed that domestic service work, the only field of work women were expected to work in was difficult. It was low pay for very long hours. Becoming a 'war worker' allowed for a chance to escape domestic service work and was somewhat a better deal for them; shorter hours and higher pay. The source sheds light on the decrease of working women in domestic service reported in source A2. This letter and decrease in domestic service workers could suggest that many women were unhappy and shared the opinion expressed in the source A5 letter. It is a reliable source as it is a primary source, written by a woman reflecting on personal experience and the impact the war had on her life. However it is only one person's view therefore it is limited in the extent to which it can be generalised to the views help by the general population of women workers. It cannot account for the general impact as it is a personal experience. Source A6 again reports a rapid and positive change; women went from earning very little or not working at all to earning more than even the soldiers. The source highlights that women had developed a sense of independence; this is shown through the way the soldier reflects on the willingness of women to pay drinks on behalf of the soldier; they knew they could comfortably afford it. Source A10 is very reliable as it is from a textbook aimed at GCSE students; just like source A1 they would aim to provide students with as accurate information as they can. It is a limited source as it does not give a full picture of how women's lives changed after war was over. Information may have been generalised; some women may have been allowed to continue with their new working lives. Both source A10 and A2 are secondary sources and are therefore speaking retrospectively to their audience. They are not as reliable as the primary sources this essay has discussed. Source A10 describes that the new life and opportunities given to women during the war were unfortunately only available to them while the war was happening. Once it was over they were expected to return to their previous working lives. This was not a lifestyle women wanted to go back to; they had learned they were capable of different skills and could earn a better wage for themselves. Anything was preferred to domestic service work. Women were eventually forced out of work and chose to escape domestic service work by living on benefits. However they were heavily criticised by both the general public and the government for this. The women that had been valued and that had played a key element during the war were now being called out for being 'scroungers' this showed that the government had viewed women as only fit to serve a certain purpose during the dire situation that the war had presented them with; they did not wish to actually give any freedom or independence to women once the war finished. This restarted the fight for independence and equality that the suffragettes had already been campaigning for. However women were now more passionate as they knew they were capable of more and knew they were valued when society needed them. This was observed through the higher pay and choice of work they were suddenly presented with.

In conclusion WWI ultimately brought about a positive change for women. It expanded the role of women in society and gave them options for what to do with their lives. At first this started off as a necessity to bring women into the vacant work force but resulted in what can be considered to some extent the liberation of women.