Women's Rights During World War I

European women's rights were impacted a lot by World War I. During the war women had to take over many positions men were no longer available to fill, as many men were of fighting in the war. This showed politicians that women can handle more responsibility and they could be seen as more equal to men. Women working eventually lead to them gaining more rights. World War I had a major impact on women's rights and daily lives due to the fact the women began to work to support themselves and their families, which some men and women did not agree with due to standing gender roles during this time period.
During World War I women overcame many struggles to support their families and there country by joining the workforce in factories and in other …show more content…
As women were being seen as more equal to men, advocates for more political freedoms for women started a movement. Men's political influence continued to grow while women's remained stagnant. Women became more influential in politics and later gained more political freedoms.
Even as much progress was made toward women's rights many men believed women's role was in the household and not at the workplace. Many men also believed women should primarily be as a mother and wife. Some men did not like the idea of their wives working and insisted they did not work. (Doc.5) Some men believed that even as women were helping out during the war, women would return as only wives and mothers after the men returned to war. (Doc.5) These men also did not advocate for more political rights for women.
Women during prior periods of time such as the middle ages had many fewer rights. The women of the middle ages were only known as housewives and mothers. They were also seen as property to their husbands. During World War I women became more prominent in the workplace and overall in society. They gained more freedoms that women in the middle ages had not