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House Remembers “Rosies” of World War II

On June 2, the House approved, 417-0, a resolution (H. Con. Res. 413) honoring the contributions of women, symbolized by “Rosie the Riveter,” who served on the home front during World War II. Sponsored by Rep. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), the resolution calls on Americans to study, reflect on, and celebrate the stories and accomplishments of women who served the nation as “Rosies” during the war. The Senate approved an identical resolution (S. Con. Res. 103) on May 17 (see The Source, 5/21/04).

The resolution contains a number of findings, including:

  • During World War II, 6 million women stepped forward to work in home front industries to produce the ships, planes, trucks, guns, and ammunition that were crucial to achieving an Allied victory;
  • The need for labor in home front industries during World War II opened new employment opportunities for women from all walks of life and dramatically increased gender and racial integration in the workplace;
  • The service of women on the home front during World War II marked an unprecedented entry of women into jobs that had traditionally been held by men and created a lasting legacy of the ability of women to succeed in those jobs;
  • The needs of working mothers resulted in the creation of child care programs, leading to the lasting legacy of public acceptance of early child development and care outside the home; and
  • The needs of women on the home front led to employer-sponsored prepaid and preventative health care never before seen in the United States.

Sharing the stories of Rosies from her district, Rep. Capito stated, “During World War II, a remarkable band of women picked up the rivet guns left on factory floors and shipyard docks by departing workers. Many of those workers were husbands, boyfriends, sons and dads; and those women started building the tanks, airplanes, and ships that Americans needed to win the war. This group of women became known as Rosie the Riveters, the bandana-brazing, tight-muscled woman depicted in posters with the slogan ‘We Can Do It.’”

Rep. Hilda Solis (D-CA) said that Rosie “symbolized the millions of women who broke through the glass ceiling and showed this Nation that women could perform paid work in nontraditional jobs,” adding, “Their legacy of equal employment opportunity and support for child care and health care that developed during Rosie the Riveter’s era has served men, women, and families since that time.”

Pointing out that women wore hard hats as they “embraced a new life as riveters and welders,” Rep. Judy Biggert (R-IL) stated, “Without these women, the Allied victory could not have been a reality. Today, we honor their patriotism and their unwavering dedication to their country. I take off my hard hat to them.”

Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) said that Rosies “filled the void in America’s workforce by working under very poor conditions for very little pay in factories doing welding, machining, building aircrafts, fixing tanks and armament factories.” She added, “Although the average Rosie the Riveter’s salary was $31.21 a week for her labor, as compared to $54.56 a week for the men that still remained, these women fought social discrimination, gender harassment, and physical abuse. Rosie the Riveter’s image of a strong, competent woman was a symbol of patriotic womanhood.”