August, 1902, NSW women were finally granted the right to vote. The federal and state move was welcomed by women’s groups.

In 1902, Ada Emily Evans was the first woman in Australia to qualify in law when she graduated from Sydney Uni. But ironically, she was not able to practice her new skill under the current law.

Australia didn’t need women to replace men in the paid work force desperately.

Australian women’s main wartime work was in traditional female roles related to: nursing and volunteer service, and the food, clothing and textiles industries.

The government refused them roles auxiliary units for the army.

Voluntary work provided the main way for women to contribute to the war.

The ‘Australian Branch of the Red Cross’ was established. Its patriotic focus and links with the social elite attracted many middle-class women, and significant donations from many groups.

The other major organization for volunteer work was the ACF, which provided the army with ‘comfort boxes’ which contained luxury foods, clothing and other items.

The volunteer women in the ACF also knitted socks; they provided soldiers with dry socks to

These volunteers also helped by shipping costs for these organisations by fund-raising. They sold cakes, organizing fetes and street stalls, and door-knocking.

The accepted view was that working women were just filling in time while they waited to become wives and mums.

During the 1920s many women had entered the workforce. During the depression, many families depended on women to be the breadwinner as well as the homemaker. Employment for married women was restricted, and exploitation of cheaper female labour was common.

In 1921, women made up 20.3% of the workforce. Certain occupations were regarded as being suitable for women. Female employment rates grew in clothing and textile manufacturing, food preparation, and typing and clerical work.

Some topics in this essay:
Nursing Service, Red Cross’, Sydney Uni, Relations Commission, Service Corps, , Emily Evans, equal pay, • equal, women joined, female employment, australian women’s, paid force, women’s movement, married women,