Rosie the Riveter Hero

Rosie the Riveter: A Symbol of Empowerment for Women

Rosie the Riveter was a lady who rose to prominence as a hero during World War II. Rosie had been a housewife before going to work in factories making arms and equipment used in fighting and winning the war. During the fighting, she became a beacon of genuine patriotism, and her bravery inspired other women to work in factories and support the war effort. As a result, the name “Rosie the Riveter” came to describe women who worked in industries and factories. Most of these women who were working here were involved in the production of ammunitions and war weapons (Gluck, Sherna Berger). The women took such roles after men had left for the war and the factories were facing shortage of workers. Moreover, women worked in these factories since they were the bread winners after their husbands had gone to fight.

The Impact of Rosie the Riveter on Women’s Empowerment

Since then, Rosie the Riveter has been used as a symbol of economic power of women and feminism. To encourage more women, the government and the media used posters that had women in the factories. Moreover, Rosie the Riveter became a central them in movies and songs across the country. From being used as a symbol of propaganda, Rosie the Riveter became an empowerment to women. The courage that women had got from the experience of Rosie the Riveter was carried forward through the 1980’s, whereby women came up with slogans such as “We Can Do It!”. This championed the women rights and the fight for equality. The movements had a great impact on the American society as it led to the achievements of the equal rights that are being enjoyed by women today. Rosie the Riveter started the second wave of feminism in the US and the push for the rights of women.

Rosie the Riveter’s Legacy in Today’s Society

She has also contributed to the rise in the notion, what men can do, women can do it better. Women have risen to managerial positions in the renowned country, jobs were once reserved for men only. Though the use of the courage that was first demonstrated by Rosie the Riveter, by doing the riveting job better than men, women of today are more empowered to equally compete with men in all jobs.

Today, women are flourishing in the workplaces, doing tasks which they were never allowed to do before. Moreover, young girls have numerous careers paths when choosing their goals in life. The society has allowed women to make a choice on whether to work, become a home maker or a house wife. The today’s culture has allowed both women and men to make their choices regarding the work they want to do and not to be portrayed differently by the society.

The Influence of Rosies in Modern Society

Some of the notable women who have risen up and became the Rosies of today are: Hilary Clinton, a former secretary of the state and a presidential candidate of the democrats, Oprah Winfrey, a philanthropist, media proprietor, producer, actress, talk show host and actress. Such women are opinion makers in the country and also symbols of the roles that the American women can play in today’s society, which has given them more rights and a space to establish themselves than ever (Gross, Elana). The culturally changing movement of the roles of women in the society was spearheaded by the iconic Rosie the Riveter and has greatly influenced the roles and lives of the women in today’s society.

Works Cited

Gluck, Sherna Berger. Rosie The Riveter Revisited. New York, Penguin Books USA, 1988,.

Gross, Elana. “Where the Modern Day ’Rosie the Riveter’ Finds Her Squad.” Forbes.Com, 2017, https://www.forbes.com/sites/elanagross/2017/09/26/how-the-riveter-is-building-a-community-for-the-modern-day-rosie-the-riveter/#53a9bf2e4967.