We can do it by J. Howard Miller
Over the centuries women have fought to play a major role in society, in our path to gender equality we have employed many tools. During WWII an image came back to inspire women and set a new direction;which was the case of J.Howard Miller’s poster “We can do it”. This posterpromoted self- empowerment, feminism andinpiration for political figures,this image made a significant contribution during time of chaos.
It was in 1943 when J. Howard Miller created the “We can do it” poster for Westinghouse Electric, to motivate the female work force, but it wasn’t until 1980’s when it rose back to wake a new movement. This artwork portraits force and power, but most importantly the power of women in society. As WWII began women were motivated to take on the roles of men in the workforce, resulting in gaining financial freedom. Opportunity presented and Rosie encouraged women to take control, she spread the message that women could do it!
Along with this new found freedom women became aware of their potential,educational levels rose, the number of children decreased in women over 18 years of age (even if married), the occupational distribution in civilian labor force significantly increased. Approximately 400,000 women joined the armed forces andpolitical awareness came to the rise as well,Rosie displayed the image of a woman who was physically, mentally and emotionally strong, a woman ready to rise to power and who needed no other than herself to set her own goals.
Since then, this artwork has been used by different political personalities, to project the power that women can have in politics, not just in the workforce. A few recent examples in the American politics are Sarah Palin, Hilary Clinton and Michelle Obama; all portraying the image of a woman who is capable of breaking gender boundaries. Achieving the same success that we have reached in our households, classrooms and companies, now focusing in leading our cities and nations. Letting the world know through and image that women can contribute equally as men in the different sector, that women can take charge of their household and share responsibilities and be professionally successful.
In conclusion, one painting became an important part of the evolution of women in society. One painting inspired women to take action and begin to live their dreams, this is the role of an artist, to inspire and touch our lives. In this case the painting was done to motivate a few hundreds of workers and it change it caused an impact in our society and along our history;to help women become self-empowered, to embrace the potential of our gender and inspire great figures that we look up to. All of that from one face put on to a painting that has marked our growth as a gender.
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