<P> Rosie the Riveter is a cultural icon of World War II, representing the women who worked in factories and shipyards during World War II, many of whom produced munitions and war supplies . These women sometimes took entirely new jobs replacing the male workers who joined the military . Rosie the Riveter is used as a symbol of feminism and women's economic power . Similar images of women war workers appeared in other countries such as Britain and Australia . Images of women workers were widespread in the media as government posters, and commercial advertising was heavily used by the government to encourage women to volunteer for wartime service in factories . Rosie the Riveter became the subject and title of a song and a Hollywood movie during WWII . </P> <P> Because world wars were total wars which required governments to utilize their entire populations for the purpose of defeating their enemies, millions of women were encouraged to work in industry and take over jobs previously done by men . During World War I women across the United States were employed in jobs previously done by men . World War II was similar to World War I in that massive conscription of men led to a shortage of available workers and therefore a demand for labor which could only be fully filled by employing women . </P>

Who was rosie the riveter and what did she represent