Female collaborators and resisters in occupied Belgium : comparative analysis of their social and family contexts (1914-1918)

This chapter focuses on the life courses of women in wartime Belgium. Because Belgium was occupied during the conflict, it stands out as a particular case regarding gender relations during the war. Many Belgian women were left home alone with children to take care of, and had to deal with the Germans as they occupied the country. How did marital status, family situation, or social class affect women’s experience of this occupation? How did these factors influence women’s ability to engage with the occupier, and beyond, with the national community? This chapter tackles these issues through the lens of female resistance and collaboration. Through a qualitative analysis of 104 female political prisoners, it stresses contrasts in profiles between typical female resisters and collaborators. An intersectional analysis of marriage statuses, family situations and social classes highlights how marriages affected emancipation strategies differently according to women’s social backgrounds.This chapter focuses on the life courses of women in wartime Belgium. Because Belgium was occupied during the conflict, it stands out as a particular case regarding gender relations during the war. Many Belgian women were left home alone with children to take care of, and had to deal with the Germans as they occupied the country. How did marital status, family situation, or social class affect women’s experience of this occupation? How did these factors influence women’s ability to engage with the occupier, and beyond, with the national community? This chapter tackles these issues through the lens of female resistance and collaboration. Through a qualitative analysis of 104 female political prisoners, it stresses contrasts in profiles between typical female resisters and collaborators. An intersectional analysis of marriage statuses, family situations and social classes highlights how marriages affected emancipation strategies differently according to women’s social backgrounds.B