Upon her their lives depend : an analysis of posters recruiting women munitions workers during World War I : an honors thesis (HONRS 499)

Abstract

This study analyzes posters created by the British government to recruit women to work in munitions plants during World War I. Focusing on the images and ideas represented in these posters, it reveals that the posters were skillfully crafted to persuade women that they ought to work in jobs that were previously considered "men's jobs." Women appeared as powerful, strong figures in the posters. Additionally, they appealed to women's sense of patriotic duty and conveyed the idea that women could play a central role in fighting the enemy through this war work. These images were apparently effective recruiting tools as thousands of women went to work in the crucial munitions industries. This is significant because it is the first time in history that the British government supported the entry of women into the workforce.