The Women's Compulsory Service Petition League, originally the Women's Compulsory and All Loyal League and the Women's Compulsory Service League was a pro-

conscription Conscription, also known as the draft in the United States and Israel, is the practice in which the compulsory enlistment in a national service, mainly a military service, is enforced by law. Conscription dates back to antiquity and it conti ...

organisation active in Brisbane during the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

. Formed primarily by the female relatives of soldiers who had enlisted and were fighting or had been killed in action, they tried to persuade men to enlist, and they campaigned for the immediate introduction of the conscription of all able-bodied men in order to reinforce the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) fighting in France. Their main methods of applying pressure were through organising petitions, and holding public meetings. The League was in strident opposition to organisations such as the Women's Peace Army, who either opposed conscription or were philosophically opposed to war altogether.

References

{{reflist Conscription in Australia History of women in Australia