Women in the Great War
At the beginning of the war, the contributions of women were basically an extension of their domestic work. They knitted socks, rolled bandages, and wrapped food parcels to send to the troops. Women put on variety shows and used the money they raised to buy supplies that were needed overseas.
With so many men serving overseas it became necessary for women to work outside the home, often taking jobs that were traditionally done by men. Even though they performed the same work as the men they replaced, they were often paid less.
Women were now called upon to run farms, build aircraft and ships, and work in munitions factories. By the end of the war they had earned the right to vote and were gaining independence in society.
More than 3,000 nurses served in the Canadian Army Medical Corps, including 2,504 overseas. They were nicknamed “bluebirds” because of their blue uniforms and white veils.
The average age of Canada’s nurses was 24, and almost all were single. All were volunteers and there was never a shortage of candidates. In January 1915, for example, there were 2,000 applicants for 75 positions.
Nurses did not work in the front-line trenches, although they were often close to the front. As patients arrived, the nurses met the wounded soldiers, cleaned wounds and offered comfort. They assisted in surgery and often had primary responsibility for cleaning post-surgical wounds and watching for infections.
Following the war, women returned to their traditional unpaid roles.