3. Suffrage movements got a boost
Although the suffragist movement appeared before the Great War, it gathered momentum during and after the same. Although giving rights to vote in New Zealand and Australia, and in some mid-west states and in municipal elections at others in the U.S, the same was not achieve yet in many parts of Europe. In England, the Women’s Social and Political Union (WSPU) was formed in 1903 by Emmeline Pankhurst and her daughter Christabel Pankhurst in Manchester. Its members, known as suffragettes, used aggressive campaigns to gain rights. However, during World War I Christabel’s sister, Sylvia Pankhurst, departed from the organization due to suspension of suffrage protests and opposition of the war effort carried out by the WSPU. In 1918, the Parliament passed the Representation of the People Act, giving all men over 21 and women over 30 the right to vote. Lady Astor became the first British women to have a seat in Parliament. It was not until late 1920s that women over 21 years old got the right to vote. In the U.S, the National American Women’s Suffrage Association carried out petitions, parades, rallies and street speakers to promote the rights. Another organization, the National Woman’s Party, did several marches in front of the White House. In 1920, the 19th Amendment was passed, allowing women over 21 to vote.
2. Many became widows and others stayed single
Due to the high mortality rate of men during the World War I, millions of women across Europe were left without husbands or the opportunity to marry. With the loss of more than 740,000 British soldiers, 1 million French, and 1.7 million Russians and Germans each, there was a lost generation of young men and husbands, and a surplus of women population. Although war pensions were given, they were in most cases insufficient to support the widows, which had to plead charities. Many were also restrained by political and social constraints of the time. After the war, several middle and high class women remain unmarried or single because of the lack of men in their social circle and some out of financial necessities. Some professions like medicine and teaching remained open but only to unmarried women.
1. Some were pilots
Although not many women were recruited in the military Airforce of their respective countries, many contributed to the war effort. Some helped teach cadets and few others actually flew during combat missions. The French “fiancée du danger” (danger’s ‘girlfriend’) Marie Marvingt, was the first women recognized to have flown in combat. An all-star athlete in many sports such as fencing, skiing and cycling she tried to join the infantry disguised as a man. Once ousted, she joined instead the Air Force and got the chance to fly. After dying in 1963, she was the most awarded French woman in history. In Britain, before the Women Royal Air Force (WRAF) was established they served in the Royal Flying Corps and Royal Naval Air Service. In 1918, those two merged and formed the Royal Air Force. When the WRAF was established it was voluntary and about 9000 women joined the service, divided into storewomen, technicians, clerks, household and non-technicians. In the U.S, women’s presence was also noted. Two young women, Katherine and Marjorie Stinson, helped trained over 100 Canadian pilots at their flying school. Recognized as the “flying schoolgirls”, Katherine was only 24 and Marjorie 18 years old.