Ww1 Unit 2 Research Paper

It was not uncommon for women at this time to work in factories with many working in ammunition factories. The women who worked in the ammunition factories played an important role in the war effort by doing some of the most important work (Kim). These women worked extremely hard and it was argued that they put their lives in danger almost as much as the men enlisted in the war. They worked long shifts, typically 10-12 hours a day, working with highly-explosive materials (Munitions Factories). Most, if not all, factory jobs required women to operate machinery which was heavy and dangerous, causing many injuries. The dangers of working in factories gave a great perspective of what it was like to do a man’s job, but women weren’t afraid. They desired equality and

This inequality was controversial and stimulated women 's desire for more freedoms including the right to dress the same as men. They wanted independence and to have a voice to speak out and show that they were strong. Although women were not considered equal to men, they could perform jobs just as well, and sometimes even better. Women wanted to wear pants for work and also for leisure wear. This new desire for different clothing was a major change in tone for the era as women’s clothing was previously restricted to dress wear. Although women were not granted workwear similar to men as they had desired, they did begin to wear more comfortable dresses in order to work in the fast paced conditions. Women saw this as an advancement for further reforms and it allowed women to build their confidence and courage in order to pursue their right to dress freely and comfortably. The introduction of women in the workplace incited a strong desire for gender equality and for fashion reforms to allow women to dress appropriately for the labor intensive jobs they were required to