ABSTRACT
The aim of this chapter is to compare how female civil servants were integrated into public administration offices in Ljubljana and Trieste (and more broadly, Slovenia and Venezia Giulia) after the First World War, highlighting both similarities and differences. The chapter commences by examining the status of women clerks in both regions before the First World War. It then delves into the distinctions between female civil servants and their male counterparts in general. Similar trends observed in other European countries after the First World War can also be seen in these regions. This includes a surge in female employment followed by job redundancies linked to state restructuring, economic crises, and the replacement of female workers with veterans. In the final part, we analyze the differences among female servants, shedding light on their recruitment practices, which remained rooted in Habsburg tradition, prioritizing moral integrity and political loyalty. There was, however, a divergence in the treatment of married female civil servants, with Italy dismissing them while Yugoslavia did not. By centering our study on female personnel, we offer a distinct perspective on the cultural changes that unfolded after WWI, particularly with regard to the evolving roles of women in both society and the workforce.
