What Did World War I Really Do For Women?

“If it is true that men are better than women because they are stronger, why aren’t our sumo wrestlers in the government?”

Modernism is defined as a philosophical movement that arose during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The modernist movement allowed for the wartime availability of jobs for women. The photo depicting high school girls learning the art of automobile mechanics is one of great importance in regards to Modernism. The event in the photo occurred during a period of time shortly after World War I. This era included the expectation that women had to work in fields and allow themselves to be male-dominated. However, when the men left to fight in the war, women were forced to take over responsibilities like previously male-dominated jobs that needed to be filled in. The photo of the high school girls working on the automobile is just one of the many jobs they did. As the war ended and the men returned, the women were not willing to give up the responsibilities they took over in the absence of the men. Women began to rebel against traditional views allowing for the rise of thriving new industries. Women wanted to be more independent and have more freedom. As a result, men and women working together in the workforce lead to greater productivity. By 1950, one in three women was a part of the labor force. These women’s fight for their place in the workforce had a gigantic lasting effect on women’s employment.