Rosie the Riveter Statue

Rosie the Riveter is one of the most iconic figures in American cultural history — a symbol of women's contributions to the World War II home front effort and, subsequently, a symbol of feminism and women's economic empowerment. The image most associated with "Rosie" is J. Howard Miller's 1943 "We Can Do It!" poster, which depicted a woman in a polka-dot headscarf flexing her arm. This image was relatively obscure until it was rediscovered in the 1980s and became a feminist icon, though it was based on an actual worker at a Westinghouse plant.

The historical Rosie the Riveter represented the approximately six million American women who entered the industrial workforce during World War II to fill jobs vacated by men serving in the military. In Indiana, wartime manufacturing was enormous: the state produced steel, ammunition, aircraft engines, tanks, and jeeps. Indianapolis and Gary became major manufacturing centers. Evansville, Indiana was home to Republic Aviation's P-47 Thunderbolt production and the Chrysler tank plant — all staffed heavily by women who had previously been excluded from industrial work.

Rosie the Riveter statues have been installed in communities across the country as reminders of this often-overlooked chapter in women's history. After the war ended, most women were pressured or required to leave their industrial jobs and return to domestic roles. The postwar period largely erased the memory of women's wartime economic contributions — until the feminist movements of the 1960s and 1980s reclaimed Rosie as a symbol of what women had demonstrated they could achieve. Indiana's Rosie statue participates in this ongoing commemoration and recognition.