For Every Fighter a Woman Worker, World War I Poster, 1918

World War I brought about great shifts in American society. As the war began, women were not allowed to vote or serve in military combat roles. As the nation was gripped by war, the entire population was mobilized to produce weapons and supplies for the troops. The outbreak of war sent many men off to fight overseas which opened opportunities for women to enter the workforce.

Women who were able to work outside of their homes contributed to the war efforts and gained a sense of independence. They also saw a pathway to having greater rights.  Women filled traditional men’s roles in agriculture and manufacturing positions. Other women provided support for the war effort in the front lines as nurses, ambulance drivers, translators, and in a few cases on the battlefield. Black women also found opportunities to improve their lives as they were able to leave domestic positions for jobs in offices and factories. It was the first major shift in the workforce in which all women were able to move beyond the boundaries of the traditional roles of caretakers and homemakers.

Some women chose to remain at home, but they also found ways to support the war effort. Housewives were asked to pledge that they would follow instructions from the food administrator to can food for future use, grow gardens to provide their families with fresh vegetables, limit their eating of meat, wheat, and fats in an effort to reduce demand on food manufacturing plants which might need to be converted to make supplies needed for troops fighting overseas. Regardless of their roles during the war, women were expected to provide positive morale for their families and those fighting on the battlefield. Posters like the one here encouraged all Americans, but especially women to support the national war effort.

Citation: For Every Fighter a Woman Worker, World War I Poster, 1918, Prints & Photographs, Special Collections, Library of Virginia.

Social Studies: USII.1, USII.4 USII.5, WHII.9 VSU.9
Art: 4.1, 5.1

Preview Activity

Take a Look: Take a look at the poster, what do you notice about the image? What does the image tell you about what is happening at that point in time?

Post Activities

Take a Stand: You are woman who wants to take advantage of the opportunity to work outside of the home during WWl. What arguments would you make for why you should be afforded the right to work?

Social Media Spin: Create a social media post, tweet, or short video in which you depict the changing roles of women during WWI. Include a brief explanation of how it relates to the original image.

Artistic Exploration: Create your own campaign poster to support the war effort during World War I. Be ready to explain to your classmates what message you are conveying and your intended audience.