Invicta Vlogs
Mrs Giles' Blog
Earlier this year, the woman who inspired the Rosie the Riveter Second World War propaganda poster died aged 96. Naomi Parker Fraley, pictured standing over a lathe, was 20 years old in 1941 and working at the Naval Air Station in Alameda, California. She was one of six million American women who worked across the USA to help the war effort.
Interestingly, the poster was actually only displayed in factories for two weeks in 1943; it then disappeared for four decades, until it was rediscovered at the US National Archives in the 1980s, and began appearing on merchandise in their gift shop. Since then, the poster has taken on an iconic status associated with the empowerment of women and stands as a symbol of women’s strength and independence.
The artist’s original design intention is unknown and the ‘empowerment’ message has been questioned; some argue that it was designed to deter women from strike action in jobs that were highly dangerous and where the pay was poor, by appealing to patriotic sentiment. Even worse, it suggests that women must do all this work while still looking pretty. Certainly not a stand for feminism then!
However, for many the poster is still liberating. It can be seen to be making a powerful statement to women and girls everywhere; they can be strong, independent and productive.
This week ,we were extremely proud to hear about such skills, character traits and qualities in the speeches given by our students at the 11+ Open Evening. Two Year 7 students, Ana and Louisa, spoke fluently about their ever growing keenness to involve themselves in opportunities and experiences that the school has to offer and how this is helping them grow in confidence. Head Girl, Francesca, explained how independent, driven and focussed she has become through her involvement in the Duke of Edinburgh award. She also shared her thoughts on the importance of teamwork and the value of the friendships forged through collaboration and over-coming challenges. Finally, former student Harriet Wooler shared how she felt that being a student at Invicta, had helped her develop from a shy but inquisitive 11 year old to become a confident young woman, rightly proud of her achievements, who steps forward saying ‘Yes’ to the new and exciting challenges presented to her.
Whatever the original message intended by the Rosie the Riveter poster, it was both reassuring and heartening to hear that the Invicta students past, present and future are indeed what we would hope the future generation of women to be: brave, aspirational and determined to change the world for the better. So, as we embark upon a week that celebrates ‘International Day of the Girl Child’ we should be encouraged to think about the successful emergence of girls and young women as a distinct cohort in development policy, programming, campaigning and research. We have no doubt that our girls will have the skills and confidence to do this.
