In my Sociology of Gender class at UC Davis (PSA: highly recommend taking SOC132), we have been talking about the constant struggle of women being condemned for not working and for being condemned for working too much, and therefore not being home enough with their kids. This battle of women never being good enough is a harsh reality, and the concept of the “working” woman has a deep history. This rich history is beautifully displayed in the documentary The Life and Times of Rosie the Riveter. It is a MUST see.
This documentary follows a few women who were a part of the influx of women who moved into male-dominated jobs when men left for World War II. Women became welders, shipmakers, and factory workers. All these jobs were far removed from the expected domesticity they previously undertook out of societal norms.
Never have I been more inspired and empowered by a film.
The women interviewed were strong, beyond capable, and bold. They saw the opportunity to do work they found fulfilling, and they did it well. One woman documents how she had never felt more thrilled than when the ships she crafted stayed afloat in the harbor. She even stood up for the mistreatment of minority men in her workplace, not just the women.
This documentary is a must-see because it shows the struggle that women have faced in the workplace. They were discriminated against and not given opportunities to do work, and when finally allowed to work in male-dominated fields, they were still not taken seriously and were still mistreated. Often times, they were even put in very dangerous environments and grossly underpaid, too. But when men returned from war, the women were forced out and back into the home. Their experiences in male-dominated fields were short-lived.
Watching this, I felt empowered by the women who fearlessly and boldly entered these fields to support their families and make a difference in the world outside of domesticity. They learned the job without the degrees that men had and learned the skills in quicker amounts of time. They were smart, they were competent, and they were fearless, everything that I can aspire to be.
I want to be a lawyer, and just the thought of this wouldn’t be possible without the wave of feminism that came from the women entering the male-dominated workforce during World War II. They fought in unions and supported each other and undoubtedly showed that women are just as competent as men.
Watch this documentary to feel empowered as a woman and to learn a lot about what women have gone through just to be able to work outside of the home. I am so grateful for these badass women and what they have done for women today in the workplace.