Specific Women
Who was Grace Banker
Grace Banker was the Chief Operator of the U.S. Signal Corps' women telephone operators. Women telephone operators were recruited in the states for their civilian experiences and ability to speak French.
Some military jobs
Radio operators, nurses, and ambulance drivers.
Women enter the workforce in record numbers
Over 1 million American women joined factory and industrial jobs. First time, many women worked in heavy industry, transportation, and manufacturing.
Labor Unions
Labor unions did as much as they could at first to not have to hire women who applied for jobs. They were definitely not welcomed into the workplace.
Who was Julia Catherine Stimson
Julia Catherine Stimson was an American nurse, credited as one of several persons who brought nursing to the status of a profession
Where women with military jobs were stationed
They were stationed very close to the front lines and often experienced violence and even gas attacks.
Long-Term Changes After the War
Women kept many jobs post-war and continued pushing for equal rights.WWI set the stage for women in the workforce during WWII and beyond.
Working conditions
Conditions in workplaces, especially weapon factories, often had dangerous and unpredictable machinery. Explosions happened on a regular basis. Harmful chemicals were also used, damaging skin and even lungs.
Who was Jane Addams
Jane Addams was a pioneering American social reformer, suffragist, and Nobel Peace Prize winner known for founding the American settlement house movement with Hull House
New jobs that women not in the military had
Auto drivers, railroad workers, and machine operators.
The Road to the 19th Amendment (1920)
Women’s work in WWI helped convince the public and government that women deserved full citizenship. This led directly to the passage of the 19th Amendment.
Wages
Women were only paid half as much as men, despite the dangers of their workplace and health effects of it.
Who where the "hello girls"
The "Hello Girls" were 223 American women who served as telephone operators for the U.S. Army's Signal Corps during World War I. They were crucial for military communication, handling calls under dangerous conditions, and ensuring coordination between the front lines and command centers
Change in employment percentage
The employment percentage of working age women increases from 23.6% in 1914 to between 37.7% and 46.7% in 1918.
Women Proved They Could Handle “Men’s Jobs”
Women filled jobs like mechanics, drivers, clerks, and factory workers. This challenged stereotypes and changed public attitudes.
Transition from home to work
The transition from being stay at home moms or wives to workers was not made easy at all for women. Very little workplaces provided childcare for working mothers, or even separate women's restrooms.