Beyond Rosie: Women and World War II

More so than any war in history, World War II was a woman’s war. Motivated by patriotism, the opportunity for new experiences, and the desire to serve, women participated in the global conflict and became invaluable in the fight for victory. Rosie the Riveter became the most enduring image of women’s involvement in World War II. What Rosie represented, however, is only a small part of a complex story. Join Dr. Catherine Lewis as she examines how women became wartime production workers, enlistees in auxiliary military units, members of voluntary organizations or resistance groups, wives and mothers on the home front, journalists, and USO performers. American women met the challenge and changed the everyday social, cultural, and economic realities of life in the United States for generations to come.