In 1915, the Shell Scandal saw Britain facing dangerously low supplies of ammunition. In response, the Ministry of Munitions was established to take control of factories and increase shell production. With men away fighting, it was often women who worked in the factories, doing jobs previously only done by men. By 1918, over 700,000 women were making bullets and artillery shells. Exposure to explosive chemicals damaged their health and turned their skin yellow, leading to the nickname “canary girls”. As the war went on, another industry needed urgent attention. German U-boat attacks disrupted food imports to Britain, so in January 1917, the Women’s Land Army was formed to increase food supplies. These ‘land girls’ took over jobs previously done by men - milking cows, harvesting crops and rearing animals to prevent drastic food shortages By 1918, 113,000 women were working on the land. World War I showed that women could take on the same responsibilities as men, changing public attitudes about the role of women in society.
Description
With men fighting at the Front, women were called on to work on farms and in factories. Women became essential for Britain’s war effort.
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