Employment of Women Chemists in the

The Second World War forced companies that, until then, had refused to employ women chemists into hiring them. Among these companies were Courtaulds, the polymer company, and Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI), which the Journal of Careers singled out for special criticism  

However, it should be noted that the ICI did appoint Beryl Hamilton as a Chemical Analyst in 1938 (see Chap. 6). 

In 1941, an article in Chemistry and Industry detailed the types of work in the chemical industry that women could undertake. The author made the following opening remarks  

Early in the [Second World] war the view was that the employment of women in chemical works would necessarily be severely limited. However, certain firms which have put the matter to practical test have found that women can be substituted for men to a far greater extent than was thought possible, provided attention is given to certain points.96 

Among the long lists of tasks found suitable for women were taking of samples for analysis, and routine chemical testing in the laboratory and plant. What seems surprising is that the experiences of the First World War and the contributions of women then (see Chap. 12) had been totally forgotten. 

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As part of the final chapter, we will revisit the issue of the employment of women chemists in the post-First World War era. 

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