By Carol Fisher Linn
I write this on National Rosie the Riveter Day! Yes, there is such a commemorative day, as well it should be! The first National Rosie the Riveter Day was in 2017, 70 years after the end of World War II. Imagine!
But let me back up, for those of you who do not know who Rosie was. A “Rosie the Riveter” is a catch-all phrase for women and girls who stepped in to take over men’s jobs during WWII when factories, shipyards, and airplane manufacturers were left with no workers, as men went off to war. Many of these “Rosies” produced munitions and war supplies and then went back home to bake bread, rock their babies to sleep, and sew clothing for their families. Some, like my mom, treated themselves occasionally and gathered at dance halls to shake some new life into their tied legs and bodies doing the Charleston or some swing. Here, try it yourself! https://youtu.be/vk8d65yuUp4
In the Oxford Research Encyclopedia, we find this: “The Second World War changed the United States for women, and women in turn transformed their nation.” Over 350,000 women enlisted; seven million stepped into civilian jobs joining the eleven million already working. Women raised funds and organized home front initiatives to conserve resources. Food and gasoline were rationed. Americans (women) were asked by FLOTUS Eleanor Roosevelt to plant “Victory Gardens” as she did, and to conserve rubber (saving and sending rubber band balls for recycling). Women gave up their beloved nylon stockings to repurpose for parachutes and powder bags. Kids got into the act. As a child, I recall taking my grandfather’s empty tobacco package and peeling the foil off the paper, along with the foil in gum wrappers to be collected and sent for the “war effort.” The government even tried for three months to ban sliced bread until the ladies stood up and made their voices heard. Fun fact, women got around the lack of stockings with leg makeup and eyebrow pencils to draw the seam lines up the back of their legs!
It seems making voices heard has always been a challenge for women in America. Even after stepping to the plate during the war, the government and the private sector sent this message to women: “… their activities and sacrifices would be needed only ‘for the duration’ of the war’ …” That served as both a promise … and an order, subtly suggesting that women should not try to get too ahead of the dominant gender norms. “…when some women challenged these norms, they faced harsh criticism.” Problem was, these experiences taught women what they were capable of, laying the foundation for the civil rights movements in the second half of the 20th century.
One might think that the word, feminism has modern day roots. The word was first used in 1837 by French philosopher, Charles Fourier, referring to feminine qualities. By the end of that century, it was co-opted by the women’s suffrage movement, meaning the advocacy of women’s rights based on the equality of the sexes. Today, the feminists are the women and men who believe that women should get the same treatment that men do especially in terms of ability to be employed and in wages. As a feminist, you strive for the equality of all people. Adding intersectionality allows the striving for gender equality to become inclusive. It should not exclude people because of race, sexual orientation, or socioeconomic status. Ask yourself, am I a feminist? Do I want to be?
It’s funny how society accepts certain “norms”. When I was growing up, my brothers were expected to go into the armed forces or go to college. When I asked to go to college, I was told my place was in the home and my “job” was to raise a family. We have come a long way, but it’s taken a lot of push-back to make it happen. If you are a forty-something reading this, you may say, “that can’t be true.” Many of the privileges women automatically have today came by way of parents and grandparents refusing to stand for rigid social traditions which excluded them. Every step forward does not mean we have leeway to allow for steps back. Women are still fighting for equal pay for the same job. We are still fighting for equal representation for women in power. We have yet to have a woman in the highest position in the land. Did you know that U.S. ranks 75th out of 193 countries in terms of women’s representation in government? Instead of moving forward, we have been moved back, losing rights we have had for half a century. Perhaps we need more “Rosies” to step up to show us how it’s done.
https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2019/03/08/women-biggest-problems-international-womens-day-225698/