WASHINGTON, D.C. – To kick off Women’s History Month, U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), along with Senators Bob Casey (D-Pa.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.) and Christopher Coons (D-Del.), introduced a Congressional resolution to designate March 21, 2017, as National Rosie the Riveter Day, a national day of recognition for the millions of women who supported the war effort on the home front during World War II.
National Rosie the Riveter Day honors the vital contributions that were made by countless American women of all backgrounds during World War II who, with millions of American men deployed overseas, joined the workforce in increasing numbers and took on new roles previously held by men.
“West Virginia has a long history of military service, and our ‘Rosies’ helped contribute to World War II victory,” said Senator Capito. “These women pulled together and took on difficult work to support the home front. I am proud to designate March 21 as National Rosie the Riveter Day to recognize the important contributions of women during World War II and remind women everywhere that ‘we can do it.’”
Between 1940 and 1955, the number of women in the workforce jumped from 27 percent to nearly 37 percent, and by the end of the war, nearly one out of every four married women worked outside the home. These Rosie the Riveters took positions across various industries, but the aviation industry saw the biggest increase of female workers – with more than 310,000 working in the aircraft industry in 1943, representing 65 percent of its workforce.
To view the resolution, click here.
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