Australian Women In World War 1 Essay

World War 1 began in 1914 and ended in 1918. The war left devastating effects on people and the lands. Women were one of these though it was not clear to see the effects on them during the World War 1. However, looking back, the Australian women are the forgotten heroes of World War 1. Being a nurse in World War 1, women often faced horrific events and difficulties which were challenging. Whilst the men were away fighting women were forced to take on the roles of the men's jobs on the homefront, and as well as taking on these roles, they still had to manage their families with the shortages of resources.

In World War 1, women played an important role as nurses. More than 3,000 Australian civilian nurse volunteered for active service, some only hoping to be closer to their loved ones serving overseas

They managed their children and family responsibilities alone, along with shortages of resources. With the lack of communication between the homefront and the battlefield, the most common news women received from war was the news of their loved one's death. This was traumatizing and caused grief to the women. Whilst the women were taking on the roles of men's jobs, they were expected to manage their home and raise their children, which would have been extremely difficult. Another consequence women faced was risking their lives working with poisonous substances as they were working without adequate protective clothing or the required safety measures. This lead to approximately 400 and more women dying from overexposure to TNT. At that time, women were also strongly encouraged to help the war effort by joining voluntary organisations; Groups active at that time included the Australian red cross, the country of women's association, the voluntary aid detachment, as well as, some women threw themselves into campaigns in favour of conscription. To conclude women faced a lot of consequences in World War