Changing Role of Women

• As men left for the war, women replaced in their jobs, working in:

  • Shipyards,
  • Railways,
  • Mines,
  • Farms,
  • Munition factories
• Women's lives changed dramatically, because:

  1. Family life changed - found themselves to run household, manage budgets
  2. Political life changed - stood up for their rights. this can be seen in the 1915 Glasgow Rent Strikes
  3. Working lives changed
• Women who worked in munition factories

  • 800,000 women involved in munitions work
  • 30,000 were Scottish
  • Dangerous work
  • Explosion occurred
  • Cordite, used to make bombs, turned women's skin yellow, and hair green
  • Gained the nickname 'canaries' from their skin colour
  • Paid £2 per week