When Dr Elsie Inglis was told that her services were not needed by the British Army in 1914, she founded the Scottish Women’s Hospital for Foreign Services. By the end of the war there were 14 such hospitals and women from all walks of life flocked to sign up. Other women aided the war effort through employment in a range of workplace settings. These were often in traditionally male-dominated occupations. After years of being denied the vote, women could at last demonstrate that they were capable of making a significant contribution to society. But did this equality endure after the Armistice was signed? Linda McDonald is a former teacher and a member of Edinburgh Living History, based in Lauriston Castle. She has an interest in researching women’s history.
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We will not go home and sit still!: The role of women in the First World War