Everyday actions such as open a bank account or drink unaccompanied in a pub weren't allowed for women until about a century ago. Our battle for equality is still ongoing, but the victories must be celebrated. Stephanie Dotto highlights five significant moments in the history of working women in the UK, including the election of the first woman to the Commons in 1918 and the 1970 Equal Pay Act.
Acoording to Dotto,
Before the first world war, life for Britain’s women was traditionally guided by domestic responsibilities. Their place was in the home, but the air was stagnant with unease. With the rise of the Suffragettes, more women were finding their voices and speaking out for change, but it wasn’t until the global outbreak of war that they were able to start shifting the gender dynamics. World War One allowed women the chance to enter the workplace; it depended on them to keep the home front moving.
More than a million women joined the workforce between 1914 and 1918, helping to fill the gap left by a generation of military men. Women worked as drivers, postal workers and police. They stood in factories and cleaned trains. But despite the new opportunities, conditions were poor and the work was gruelling. They were earning more than they had before the war, but they were still being paid nearly half of what the men were for doing the same jobs (a theme that carried throughout the decades).
In 1941, women were called up for war work again, taking on roles as mechanics, engineers, air raid wardens, and fire engine drivers. By mid-1943, almost 90% of single women and 80% of married women were working in factories or in the armed forces. Even the Queen, then Princess Elizabeth, was a Junior Commander in the ATS, trained as a driver and mechanic.
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