Women's first contributions to war were those of "nurses," who went overseas to care for the sick and wounded in time of conflict. However, it was during World War I that the role of women in wars began to expand. Most Canadian women remained on the home front to join the army, work in munitions factories, or support the war in their spare time. Canadian women contributed greatly to the war efforts beyond simply serving as nurses. A good example of this includes, but is not limited to, their involvement in the agricultural industry. Women replaced men on farms to provide money for their families, as well as food for men abroad. During the First World War, approximately 260,000 Canadian women volunteered to join the ranks of the Women's Army. They worked incredibly hard threshing, plowing and driving tractors. The farmers the women worked for took advantage of their eagerness to be part of the workforce. Most received about half the wages of men before the war. Farmers paid women considerably little despite working long hours. Women were forced to work an average of 50 hours per week in summer and 48 hours in winter. Canadian women replaced men not only on farms, but also in factories. Many Canadian women remained on the home front to work in munitions factories. They were called “munitionettes”. “Ammunition in Canada and Great Britain produced 80% of the weapons and shells used by the Canadian and British armies.” Conditions in the factories were threatening because they were extremely dangerous. Women risked their lives daily working with toxic substances and the necessary protective clothing and safety glasses were not always provided...... middle of paper ......914-1918. Mishawaka: Thomas Nelson & Sons, 1979. “Canada Remembers Women on the Home Front.” Veterans Affairs Canada. http://www.veterans.gc.ca (accessed September 16, 2013)Kelly, Nigel. The First World War. Ottawa: Heinemann Educational Publishers, 1989. Martin, Sarah. “Women in the labor market: temporary men”. http://www.firstworldwar.com(accessed September 24, 2013)McClelland, Stewart. The Canadian Encyclopedia. Ontario: The Canadian Publishers, 1999. Prendergast, Tom, Prendergast, Sara. Primary Sources of the First World War. United States: UXL World Reference Library, 2001. “The Women's Land Army.” History learning site. http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk (accessed September 22, 2013) “WW1 Canadian Letters”. The Canadian Letters and Images Project. http://canadianletters.ca/collections.php?warid=3 (accessed September 17 , 2013)