2. Women Flashcards
What policy was introduced for women in 1941? What were the exceptions?
The (2nd) National Service Act made the conscription of women legal. Only woman with no children or no husbands between the ages of 20-30 could join the army.
What did (almost) all women aged 20 or over have to do in 1941?
women were conscripted into the workforce in 1941; all women aged 20 or older had to register for war work (unless they were ill, pregnant or had small children.
What proportion of women who were working in 1943 were employed in the munitions industry (jobs that would be lost after the war)?
Almost 40%
How many women were employed by the Women’s Land Army in 1943? How did this compare to WWI?
At its peak 80,000 women were in the land army by 1944, compared to WW1 where women were not as prominent within the army.
How many women worked in the Auxiliary services during WWII?
Over 250,000
What roles did women in the ATS, WAAF and WRNS not perform?
Women in the ATS, WAAF and WRNS never flew aircraft or sailed on ships.
What proportion of married and single women were working by 1945?
90% of single women 80% of married women
How did the aircraft industry treat female workers differently to male workers, and why?
Many skilled jobs in the aircraft industry were broken down into several SIMPLER jobs and allocated to different women. Managers simply assumed that women could not do the original job.
What was the attitude of trade unions towards female workers during WWII?
Trade Unions accepted women workers much more readily than they had done in the previous war.
Give an example of a successful campaign run by the Trades Union Congress during WWII.
The TUC campaigned to make sure that women were treated the same as men. They successfuly campaigned when women were paid 25% less in the Rolls-Royce armament factories.
How did wartime recruitment posters continue female stereotypes?
Despite the fact attitudes did change towards women working. Women were still treated as lower status than men, for example “FREE A MAN” was used in a war recruitment poster. This shows women were the replacement and only there to free a man.
How did WWII affect women’s independence?
During WWII, trade unions accepted women workers much more than they had done previously, sex outside marriage became much more common and divorce rates rose. Women began to expect their marriages to be more like equal partnerships.
What percentage of married women were working in 1947, compared to the 1930s?
18% in 1947 compared with 10% in 1930
What acts were introduced after WWII in order to help working women juggle family and work commitments?
The Equal Pay Act (1970) and the Abortion Act (1967).
What happened to the number of marriages after the WWII?
It rose at the end of WW2, to about 400,000
What did many younger married women want to do after WWII?
Many younger married women became reluctant to continue with paid employment and instead wanted to raise a family.
What impact did WWII have on sex outside marriage and the divorce rate?
Sex outside marriage became more common and divorce rates rose.
How did WWII change women’s expectations of marriage?
Women began to expect their marriages to be more like equal partnerships, rather than viewing their husband as superior.
Which law was introduced in 1944?
Butler Education Act
What did the 1944 Butler Education Act guarantee for girls?
It guaranteed all females the right to a secondary education.
How did secondary modern schools educate girls differently to boys?
Girls were taught domestic skills such as cooking and sewing. This was to prepare them for being wives and mothers.
How did the 1944 Butler Education Act give greater rights to female teachers?
It outlawed the sacking of female teachers who were married.
How many undergraduates were female by the early 1960s?
A third
What was the attitude towards working mothers in the 1950s?
There was public hostility towards working mothers e.g. working mothers were blamed for crimes and unruly behaviour by children.
What assumption was the 1942 Beveridge Report based on?
The average family consisted of an employed father and unemployed mother.
What role did many people think women should fulfil in the 1950s?
Many people thought that women should fulfill a Domestic Role.
How was the ‘cult of domesticity’ encouraged during the 1950s?
The 1950s saw a persuasive cult with the traditional views of women as domestic figures still being held by many. This view was encouraged by commercial advertising.
What did government training courses offer women in the 1950s?
Government training courses were opened made available to women who had contributed to the war effort, so that they could re-train for peacetime work. The government paid people allowances during the training, however the women were paid less than the men.
How did government training courses discriminate against women in the 1950s?
Although the government paid people allowances when training, women were paid less than men.
Why were there more opportunities for women to work in Britain in the late 1940s / early 1950s?
After the war there was a shortage of workers
What proportion of adult women were working in 1951?
In 1951, women made up 31% of the workforce.
What proportion of married women were working in 1951?
In 1951, only 26% of married women worked.
What proportion of women were secretaries, factory workers or shop workers?
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