The Women of Britain Say Go!

This recruitment poster from World War I is interesting, if atypical, because of its commentary on the role of women in the World War I era. The poster's use of the women issuing an imperative is unusual because it gives women the power to commend the men of the nation, thus accepting that they have a distinct influence. This admittance gives women unconventional power.

However, the woman portrayed in this poster is the familiar wife and mother. She is not on the front lines, merely watching from the window as her children cling to her skirt. Thus, she plays the role of protector, yet not of an active participant in the war movement. The poster says nothing of the thousands of women who filled men's jobs manufacturing necessary war materials or healing wounds in field hospitals.