With reference to two 20th-century wars, each from a different region, compare and contrast the effects of war on the role and status of women.

The question requires that candidates give an account of the similarities and differences between the effects of two 20th-century wars on the role and status of women, referring to both wars throughout. The two wars must be drawn from different regions but they may or may not have been contemporaneous with each other. Effects may extend beyond the timeframe of the word history topic, but they must be clearly linked to the named wars. Candidates may refer to the economic roles assumed by women during the chosen conflicts and comment on how these impacted their roles and status or there may be reference to the role of women within the armed conflict. For example, during the Second World War, while some Western European countries restricted female participation to nursing or administrative tasks, some women served in the Soviet army. In Vietnam, women served as village patrol guards, intelligence agents, propagandists and military recruiters. Candidates may also refer to social changes brought about by conflict during post-war periods, for example rights acquired by women or continued participation in the workforce that may have impacted their status within society. Both similarities and differences must be clearly indicated but there does not need to be an equal number of each.

The question required candidates to give an account of the similarities and differences between the effects of two 20^th century wars on the role and status of women. Relatively few responses were seen to this question. The most popular examples were both world wars, with attention paid to the proviso outlined in the Guide that the same war in different regions may not be used as two examples. For the most part, candidates chose to compare and contrast the First World War in Europe and the Second World War in Asia/Pacific. There were some good answers however, using wars such as the Spanish Civil War and the Vietnam War with interesting and relevant reflections on the involvement of women both in the war and the impact the policies of the victorious side had on their role and status in the immediate aftermath.