First World War farm workers. Female farm workers guiding tractors to plough a field during the First World War (1914-1918). The First World War caused immense social upheaval as women entered the workforce in large numbers to replace the men drafted or conscripted to fight as soldiers. The female workers played a vital role in producing munitions and keeping industries such as farming going. After the war, this social change aided the campaign for increased rights for women. Photographed between 1917 and 1918.