Over 6 million women from all backgrounds, and from all over the country, worked at industrial jobs that challenged traditional notions of women's capabilities and ensured American productivity that helped to win the war. The sight of women outfitted in overalls and wielding industrial tools became an icon that was popularized in the 1942 song, "Rosie the Riveter," providing a nickname for all women who worked in wartime industries.

The image that has become most widely known was commissioned by the United States War Production Commission - Co-coordinating Committee for use on a recruiting poster in 1943. It was intended to be displayed for only two weeks, February 15 through February 28, but its fame has continued.