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Women and the War. Roles at home Needed to work in factories to produce munitions and war goods Still paid less than the men who used to work factory jobs Victory-bond drives Knitting and sewing clothes to send to soldiers. Munitions factory, Verdun, Quebec.
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Women and the War • Roles at home • Needed to work in factories to produce munitions and war goods • Still paid less than the men who used to work factory jobs • Victory-bond drives • Knitting and sewing clothes to send to soldiers
Munitions factory, Toronto (formerly used to build cars before the war)
Women and the War • Roles in the war • More than 2000 Canadian women enlisted as nurses, and served in field hospitals in Europe • Women were also drivers of supply vehicles in Europe
Conscription in Canada • 1917, and enlistment is declining • Why? • Canada needs more soldiers • PM Borden introduces conscription • All men 19-45 MUST enlist • Not popular among other politicians • Borden calls an election to let the people decide if they support conscription
Canadian Voting Rights • Borden passes Wartime Elections Act, before the “conscription election” • Allows women to vote, for the first time! • Only if you are the wife, sister, or mother of a soldier • Borden passes Military Voters Act as well • Allows soldiers to vote from overseas Why pass laws allowing these groups to vote? • Borden’s government elected, but Canada split on idea of conscription • 400 000 men conscripted, but only 24 000 served overseas