Almost a century ago, American women never had major role models to look up to because they lived in a male-dominated society. Men had presidents, war heroes, scientists, CEOs, political figures, and more to see as icons. It wasn’t until World War II that a female icon emerged, influencing females around the country to rise up into the roles of men, roles that women never had the opportunity to take on until then. Rosie the Riveter serves as one of the most famous female figures in United States history. Although fictional, Rosie was able to bring a bulk of women to the workforce during World War II while most of our men were off fighting across seas (“Rosie the Riveter”). This poster became one of the most influential propaganda during times of war (“Rosie the Riveter”). It spoke out to women across the country and sparked a wave of feminism that encouraged women to break the gender inequality barrier in the workforce. 

Before World War II, women were made to stay at home and be mothers or wives. When the war hit, most of the able men in the United States left to go across seas in order to protect the country. This is when women were brought into the workforce to take over many of the war material industries (“Rosie the Riveter”). In order to persuade women to come into the workforce, Rosie the Riveter was created as war propaganda. A riveter is a tool used to produce materials of war which inserts holes through plates of metal (“Rosie the Riveter”). A strong woman being shown in the poster using a riveter and being named as one became a cultural icon for women across America to enter into the war industries which usually would’ve been dominated by men.  Women were given the opportunity to work in areas with guns and munitions and airplanes (“Rosie the Riveter”). Before then, women were usually just household objects not meant to actually hold “real” jobs. When the men went off to war, there was a shortage of workers and a large demand for war supplies, so the only option left was to bring women into the workforce (“Rosie the Riveter”). This broke down enormous barriers for women across the country. For women to be able to work in the same industries as men and to work among men proved their worth as citizens. Rosie the Riveter sparked this revolutionary movement of women into the workforce. Rosie is an integral part of American history, and the image itself portrayed a strong message to women across the country. 

The message of Rosie the Riveter, to get women into the workforce, was important to women across the country, but the image is iconic all in itself. Many aspects of the image create what is a bold, appealing image that portrays strength and power. The image obtained the exact response from women that the country needed. Women came into the workforce by the thousands to serve their country, all because they had been influenced at least in part by this iconic image. Rosie is the image of a strong, determined woman. She is the exact opposite of what any woman was supposed to be during this time period. Usually a woman would dress nicely and be well put together. A woman would never put on dirty clothes or handle a man’s machinery. Rosie, however, encompasses every aspect of a strong working man into the image of a woman. This portrays an image that women would want to be. A powerful and tough woman that is able to do anything a man can do. The bold colors used in this image also portray strength and power. Red, blue, and yellow are colors that display dominance and authority. Softer colors wouldn’t give the same feelings of strength and power as these bold colors. The message displayed at the top of the poster states, “We Can Do It!” This statement is an important aspect of this poster. This is an image of a strong woman giving the message to women that they collectively as a group can accomplish what men can and what they had been denied for so long. That message acts as the main form of propaganda. It suggests that women are capable of doing what men can do. This motivated women across the country to join in the workforce that was usually occupied by men to do their job. It was one of the most successful forms of propaganda during any war inside the country. This is an iconic image that still affects and influences women today. 

Even today, Rosie the Riveter is an image used by women to motivate and encourage them to take lead in society. Many women still have this iconic poster displayed about their spaces as an encouragement and inspiration to take on the roles that they may have been denied before or to reach equal grounds as men. After second wave feminism, women today are still battling this inequality among men and women. Such things exist like the pay gap, job qualifications, gender roles in society, etc. (Kessler-Harris). Every single day, women are faced with different battles in which they feel they must “prove” themselves in order to be equal among men. Since Rosie, there have been many more icons, fictional and real, that lead women to take on and challenge these roles. Such icons include women of prestige such as Michelle Obama, who encourage women to take on leadership roles and be more than a simple housewife. Michelle Obama is the epitome of what Rosie the Riveter means to women today. After World War II, women were sent back into the homes and into the role of a housewife that does not hold a job or hold the same respect in society as men (Kessler-Harris). Since then, women have worked to break down those barriers and take on the roles in society that men didn’t think women were capable of. Rosie the Riveter is an icon that women look up to and use as encouragement to break down these barriers. She is a reminder that women are capable of anything and more that men are capable of doing. Rosie started out as war propaganda, but soon became the image of a strong woman fighting for equality today. 

Even though Rosie the Riveter was an icon, at that time she was a controversial topic. While she entailed strength and power in women, Rosie also suggested that women lose their feminity in the workplace (Knaff). A housewife could be seen as somewhat fragile and clean, and a working woman in dirty clothes and doing dirty work could be seen to take away a woman’s feminity. It was thought that masculinized women would also feminize men, making them seem weaker since women could take their place in the workforce (Knaff). Some men disapproved of women in the workforce because they would distract their male coworkers or be reprimanded for having long hair or wearing jewelry around heavy machinery (Knaff). Even during times of war, women were still controlled by the sense of feminity and they felt they needed to maintain that aspect of themselves. Men still wanted to maintain control of the workforce. So even though Rosie the Riveter can now be seen as a female icon, the image actually caused much concern among women in the workforce about losing their feminity or overcoming men in the workforce (Knaff). Nonetheless, Rosie the Riveter has still prevailed as an icon then and now, and she continues to help women break down barriers today.

Amidst a war outside of the country, there was an internal battle taking place. The women of America were breaking new ground during World War II with the help of the female icon, Rosie the Riveter. Though controversial at the time, Rosie can be seen as the reason women fight for equality through today. Shown as a strong, independent woman, she sparked a revolution in the women of America to take on the roles previously occupied by men. Rosie was able to showcase women’s strengths outside of the home and became one of the most famous female icons of all time. She started out as simple war propaganda in a time when war resources were short and the only option was to have women work in war material industries. Throughout the years though, she has transformed into an inspirational figure that encourages women across the United States to pursue roles dominated by men. Rosie the Riveter is undeniably one of the most influential female icons of all time that encourages women in the continuous fight for equality. 
