11. The First Women Police Officers Served During the First World War and were Known as Women Patrols
The first female officers served during the war. Although abiding to the same strict code of conduct as their male counterparts, the early responsibilities of these policewomen were to monitor the women around factories, communities and hostels, in case of wayward behavior. They also inspected women before entering factories to ensure nothing that could cause an explosion was taken in. Moreover, they also patrolled neighborhoods, railway and bus stations, and parks. During these years, two groups were established: The Women Police Service (WPS) and the voluntary patrols. The former was formed by Mary Allen and Margaret D. Dawson (militant suffragettes) and encouraged a more active type of work, warning women about indecent behavior. The latter group was coordinated by the National Union of Women Workers (NUWW), which condemned such active work of the WPS and took in women that had been arrested at protests and demonstrations. Their main aim was to encourage sympathy of thought and purpose among the women as well as promote the social, civil and religious welfare of women.
10. Propaganda was Misleading
The many posters created with appealing messages to attract women to join the workforce, organizations, and military as non-combatants, did not present an accurate picture of what their tasks would be like. They kept secret the hardships of single mothers, the terrible work conditions that women had to put up with, such as dealing with hazardous materials and long working hours, and the inability to keep their jobs when men came back from war. They presented a fantasized, patriotic and romantic idea about the jobs. However, the posters also aimed to reverse ideas a bit about male superiority and encourage women to join male-only jobs, influencing appropriate wartime behavior. The munition posters did not say anything about the toxic fumes, explosive chemicals and the intoxication women could suffer while working making shells. Nevertheless, a sense of patriotism, independence, and high pay rate motivated these women to get out of their houses and work.