COMMUNITY
The Modern Day Rosie The Riveter
Remember the WWII propaganda posters with Rosie the
Riveter and the slogan “We Can Do It” created by Howard Miller in
the early 1940s? The image of a lady wearing a bandana and
industrial coveralls flexing her biceps? But who was this “Rosie”
person and why is she so important for the women of today? Step
back in time to find the answers.
December 7, 1941, Pearl Harbor is bombed by the Japanese and
the United States entered WWII. Four days later, Germany and the
U.S. declared war upon each other and the U.S. becomes heavily
engaged in both the Pacific and European theaters of war.
On the U.S. home front, men and women were being shipped
overseas and factories were being transformed to supply the war
with weaponry, ammunition, armored vehicles and aircraft, and
other equipment needed by the armed forces. This
transformation created an increased demand for workers
and with the majority of men away at war, women
were asked to enter the workforce for the first time.
According to the National Bureau
of Economic Research, from
1940-1945 female employment
grew from 28% to 34%.
Women were filling the
traditionally male dominated
roles of welders, machinists,
riveters, etc. In Yankton,
many women managed
the family farm or were
trained in jobs such as
control operators at
WNAX radio.
While many
women joined the
war effort out of
necessity or purely
patriotic duty, many young
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women saw these jobs as an opportunity for independence and
freedom. This was a chance to earn their own money and build
new comraderies with other women.
When the Germans surrendered in 1945, WWII officially
ended. Men returned home and needed jobs. While some women
kept working, some lost their jobs, and others left the workforce to
start families.
Today’s Rosie the Riveter
The Rosie the Riveters of the 1940s started a revolution proving
to women they could succeed in a male-dominated workforce.
While the Rosie of WWII was primarily characterized as a blue
collar, mechanic type woman, today’s Rosie’s are software
developers, engineers, and CEOs of multi-million dollar companies
in addition to filling roles as heavy machine operators and welders.
Today women have a presence in industry however,
nationwide there is shortage of women employed in science,
technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) occupations.
According to the U.S. Congress Joint Economic Committee, fewer
than 30% of manufacturing employees are women. Of this
percentage, women comprise 62% of workers in office and
administrative positions and 35% of sales employees. These
percentages are greatly reduced when considering the number of
women in production, transportation and material moving, natural
resources, construction and maintenance occupations.
To address these shortages, strides are being made to increase
STEM program participation with girls as young as elementary
school; there are programs to equip women with the skills and
knowledge for manufacturing careers through vocational and
college programs; there are efforts to increase the number of
women in leadership positions; and employers are developing
mentoring programs so women in all areas of manufacturing have
role models.
Another approach is heightening the awareness of the
opportunities careers in manufacturing offer women. New to the
community this fall: the South Dakota Center for Enterprise
Opportunity (SD CEO), located on the BHSU main campus in
Spearfish, hosted the first annual Women’s Business Conference in
Yankton. The ‘Rosie the Riveter’ themed conference featured
women from across the state, including Yankton and BHSU, as
speakers. The goal of the conference was to highlight women in
manufacturing, business, and other industries and provide
educational and networking opportunities.
With over thirty businesses categorized as manufacturers in
Yankton this translates into opportunities and a high demand for a
large skilled and educated workforce. One of the ways these
workforce demands are being met is through educational programs
and training through Black Hills State University (BHSU), the
Regional Technical Education Center (RTEC), and Mitchell
Technical Institute (MTI) located in Yankton.
SPACE PLANNING • DESIGN CONSULTATION • DECOR
n COMMUNITY continued on page 20
10 v HERVOICE SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2014