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Women Resistors

November 16, 2020 by Diane Greig
Invisible women logo with Episode 1

I interviewed 4 military and 4 resistance cell women for my research. Although the women military agents’ acts of bravery were recorded in military files, this is not necessarily true for resistance cell women. Yet, the stakes were extremely high for both military and resistance cell women – if caught, they would be thrown into a concentration camp, tortured and/or killed. 

Often resistance cell women’s names were not recorded along with the male cell members as per Episode 1: Service Zero, Edie’s story. When her cell was infiltrated by the Nazis, she was not arrested. Although Edie’s name was not listed because she had a crucial job to perform, most women’s names were not recorded in resistance cell documents because they were not viewed as integral to the résistance cells even though they completed some of the most dangerous tasks, such as couriering documents and weapons. 

This is partly due to the military definition of resistance which leaves many women out of resistance history. You see, most women carried on with their prewar roles of caring for family and friends and as a resistor, this was extended to contributing by organizing their homes as meeting places, providing meals for other resistors and/or caring/feeding Jewish families living in their attics. These aspects are all part of resisting, but they don’t fit the military definition of taking up arms. However, if caught these women would have been killed.

Also, at this time, for instance in France, many thousands of women who had the burden of citizenship via resistance work, weren’t equal in the eyes of the law. They didn’t have the right to vote.

You may be interested in this book about resistance cell women in France.

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Category: articles, frontTag: resistance, resistance cell, ww2
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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. martine boucard

    November 16, 2020 at 2:06 pm

    Merci pour vos commentaires, suis très intéressée par la partie des femmes en France …

    “les femmes en cellule de résistance en France”,,,,j’espére que ce livre est possible en français car il sera dans mes achats …

    J’espère que vos podcasts sur You Tube pourront être en Français

    Bonjour de France

    Reply
    • Diane Greig

      November 16, 2020 at 3:28 pm

      Merci beaucoup pour vos commentaires.
      Je suis heureux que vous ayez trouvé le podcast et j’espère qu’il sera un jour disponible en français.
      Bonjour de Canada,
      Diane

      Reply
  2. martine boucard

    January 23, 2021 at 10:44 am

    Bonjour…j’ai le podcast en français et j’ai trouvé le livre traduit …j’ai commandé, je l’attend….
    Bonne fin de journée et pendant qu’il est encore temps, tous mes vœux pour vous et votre fille Emily que j’apprecie .

    Reply
    • Diane Greig

      January 24, 2021 at 5:03 pm

      Bonjour, Martine. De quel podcast parlez-vous? Merci pour votre note. Diane

      Reply
    • martine boucard

      February 10, 2021 at 5:01 am

      Bonjour …les épisodes sur you tube ,je peux les avoir en français ce qui est agréable car mon anglais est nul..

      Je viens de recevoir le livre de Margarett.Collins Wetz en français…”les combattantes de l’ombre”….

      Joyeux anniversaire.
      Cordiales pensées de France.

      Reply
      • Diane Greig

        February 11, 2021 at 9:45 pm

        Merci pour les voeux d’anniversaire. Je suis heureux d’apprendre que vous pouvez traduire les épisodes Youtube! Je ferai savoir aux autres.
        Cordialement, Diane

        Reply

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