Rosie the Riveter’s face was one of the most iconic images of the women who worked during the Second World War. The picture of Rosie was part of a campaign for females to apply for jobs in the defense industry. This recruitment tool proved to be successful in American history. This made several women enter the workforce between 1940 and 1945. There was an impact on women’s rights since the poster provoked changes in the work regulations that involved clothing, bathroom space, and shifts. Women who choose to work instead of maintaining the household should be perceived as devoted; thus, they ought to be accepted and encouraged to achieve their dreams successfully and positively impact society.
During the Second World War, women worked in various professions. The aviation industry had the most significant number of females, with more than 310.000 in 1943.1 Before the war, few women made up one percent of the total workers. Almost 19 million ladies held jobs at the time of the fight.2 Many of them were returning to work, being redundant due to the depression caused by the battle, or were in low-paying positions. They played crucial roles during the warfare but rarely earned a salary of more than 50% of their male counterparts.
In early 1943, Redd Evans and John Loeb released the Rosie the Riveter song. The melody portrayed the female figure as a female employee who worked on the home front tirelessly to defend America. Following the tune’s success, a cover image of Rosie was published by The Saturday Evening Post by Norman Rockwell on May 29th, 1943. The picture depicted Rosie as muscular with an American flag and a copy of Adolf Hitler below her feet with the slogan, ‘we can do it.’ The illustration was one of the most iconic descriptions of the history of America and a symbol of poignant feminism worldwide.
Rosie’s cultural impact trended more than the poster itself worldwide. There was recognition of the action that led to the following eventualities; in the 1990s, the United States of America issued a stamp that featured the image of Rosie the Riveter. A song was composed by Redd Evans and John Jacob Loeb with a similar title in 1942.3 Norman Rockwell published a cover of The Saturday Evening Post magazine to pass the same message. Women who worked to produce planes, ships, tanks, and other materials during WW2 labeled themselves as ‘Rosies.’
American women played a crucial role during the Second World War. Their duties involved both in uniform and at home, with some working in the commercial sector to free their men to fight and the rest serving in the defense industry. At first, the government had temporarily called women to join the workforce during WW2 temporarily. After the battle, they were expected to return to their regular duties since men were to resume and take their positions back. There was official-sponsored propaganda in 1944 that demanded all females return to working at home. Many of them returned to their traditional duties, which included clerical or administration. The number of ladies working dropped from 36% to 28% in 1947.4 Those who remained in the workforce were either demoted or received lower wages than their male counterparts.
Many things have changed following the selfless effort that women put in the workplace during the war. A number of the females felt proud of their work and accomplishments. They were not ready to return to their lives before the war. They thrived in their new responsibilities and enjoyed and gained financial freedom. Significant progress in women’s empowerment in their rights at work was witnessed. Their positions continued to expand post-war, and their roles at their offices were being changed forever.
Women gained economic opportunities to work and earn their wages, improving their lifestyles. The exposure gave them financial power and stability in society. War industries offered hourly pay rates, which were much higher than what the accustomed females earned. Aircraft factories and munitions plants offered the best wages to compensate for their efforts. Females who could cross boundaries and work in masculinized places would be remunerated more handsomely than those who remained in feminized environments. However, they would not access the males’ paychecks to match theirs even if they faced similar hazards and challenges at work.
The labor department was concerned about the safety of the women at workplaces. They convinced them to wear boots or safety shoes and have helmets or protective caps rather than scarves or light bandanas. The Women’s Bureau (WB) researched and analyzed the possible causes of distressing accidents and found that long hair was caught in the machinery. WB urged factories around the country to adopt safety rules.5 There were even fashionable caps that were designed that were available in a variety of shapes and colors. The investigation indicated that the females did not wish to look the same in the office.
Women’s needs, including cosmetics, sanitary supplies, soaps, lounges, and restrooms, were provided to ensure they were comfortable as they performed their responsibilities. These packages encouraged them to stay at work after being hired and made them work for a long without the zeal to quit. The movement initiated by Rosie the Riveter was fueled and backed up by the U.S. government.6 The labor sector recommended showers and lockers sufficient for particular industrial sites. They were considered this way because most preferred walking on the streets in their personal clothes. Personal hygiene and skincare were recommended to the working class lest they could lose their femininity in the much social and altered economic wartime landscape in America.
The Rosie the Riveter image brought long-lasting changes in American history. Women started enjoying their freedom in the 1940s, which included space from fear and want, and they liked the war years’ social, financial, and emotional rewards. Several of those who gained their skills were given new jobs to show appreciation for their effort.7 The ones who had joined the army were issued their uniforms, engaged in sexual activities freely, and married quickly. Some even traveled far from home for work due to the national grander framework and global crisis.
Indeed, there is a need to support women’s dreams for them to impact society positively. The campaign used the iconic poster of the female worker flexing her muscles in a factory successfully. The morale of women working and enjoying their feminine rights was boosted by the Rosie the Riveter image, which indicated that they could do it; they worked during World War II, and it is proof that they can work in any industry regardless of the hardships and challenges faced. Currently, the world enjoys the products of the movements and the actions that the national leaders took after implementing policies and regulations that favored the female gender.
Bibliography
Konda, Amelia. “When Women Build a War: Women in the Workplace During World War I and World War II.” 2019 NCUR (2019).
Foner, Eric. Give Me Liberty! An American History: One Volume. WW Norton & Company, 2016.
History. Editors. Rosie the Riveter. A&E Television Networks. 2022. Web.
‘Rosie the Riveter: Women in the Workforce in WWII.’ Explained. Web.
Vergun, David. Rosie the Riveter Inspired Women to Serve in World War II. 2019. Ww2 Defense. Web.
Footnotes
- Vergun, David. Rosie the Riveter Inspired Women to Serve in World War II. 2019. WW2 Defense.
- Vergun, David.
- History.com Editors. Rosie the Riveter. A&E Television Networks.
- ‘Rosie the Riveter: Women in the Workforce in WWII.’ Explained.
- Foner, Eric. Give Me Liberty! An American History: One Volume. WW Norton & Company, (2016).
- Konda, Amelia. “When Women Build a War: Women in the Workplace During World War I and World War II.” 2019 NCUR (2019).
- Rosie the Riveter: Women in the Workforce in WWII’.