Geraldine Hoff Doyle was a 5’10 metal worker . Little did she know that her ad campaign would have an impact of the feminist movement in the 20th century. Geraldine …show more content…
was a beautiful seventeen year old woman working in a metal pressing factory in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The picture for the ad of Geraldine was taken in that factory. She was wearing the iconic red polka dotted bandana and flexing. The caption of the ad was ‘We can do it!’. The caption had connotations that implied woman could take of the factories and other jobs while the men were at war. This ad was very simple but would soon become very significant.
The original purpose of the ad was to boost morale and convince women to work in factories. The end result was so much more significant than J. Howard Miller, the creator, could have ever imagined. The woman in the workforce increased by 50% in factories after the ‘We can do it!’ ad was released. Over eighteen million women participated in making planes, planes, bombs, tanks, and more. These women put their lives on hold to help their country even though they knew the men would get their jobs back once they returned from battle. These women were not compensated equally. The women that were doing the exact same job were being paid 65% less than when men were working. All of these women were working and could not watch their children which lead to the establishment of child care centers around America. Rosie the Riveter was more than just an ad, she became a role model.
Rose Will Monroe was the first person to impersonate Rosie and bring the essence of her soul to daily life. Rose Will Monroe was a Hollywood star. This was just being of the journey that made Rosie the icon she is today. This inspired a chain reaction of people wanting to be like Rosie. There were a few more recorded impersonators such as Rose Hicker. She was employed at Eastern Aircraft Company in Tarrytown. This shows that Rosie’s ad had a larger impact than just on the economy. It was a great addition to the daily life of American civilians.Rosie was not forgotten after the war. Her legacy has and will live on. Even in modern day, one could find her ad or something that happened because of her. Stamps, magnets, coffee mugs, and other government issued things are just some of the many places of where her ad has been on.
Geraldine’s ad differentiates from other propaganda ads throughout the timeline of World War II . This ad was particularly unique. One thing that was special was it featured a woman which was not common in that age. The second feature was that the purpose. Most ads were asking for money, to buy stamps, or to save resources. Unlike the rest the ‘ We can do it!’ ad encouraged women to take over ‘ a man’s work’ . This ad was inspiring and added an elegance and glamour to the hard factory work. Rosie inspired women to
work. In Rosie’s time, women were paid 65% less than men. Women are still not paid equally. Statistics from NPR news show different wage gaps across America. It varies anywhere from 65 cents for every male earned dollar to 90 cents. The current average in America is 79%. After the war, 16% of all women working in factories maintained their job. Despite her best efforts, Rosie did not fix all the problems with men vs women in the workplace, but her impact was so significant starting the modern feminist movement.