Women make history in Air Force workplace Published March 14, 2008 By 2nd Lt. Lauren Swiderski 90th Maintenance Operations Squadron F.E. WARREN AIR FORCE BASE, Wyo. -- Women's history is laced with varied catch phrases and slogans. Some are traditional, such as the old adage "a woman's work is never done." Others are intended for empowerment, such as, "You've come a long way, baby." There was also the "Girl power!" war cry of the mid-nineties. But perhaps more influential for working women was 1943's "We can do it!" The slogan was designed as a jingle to accompany the U.S. government's effort to usher women into the workplace during World War II. The phenomenon was headed by Rosie the Riveter. With her red scarf and flexed bicep, Rosie personified the six million women working while their husbands and sons fought in the European and Pacific theaters. In 1943, an article titled "Eleven tips on getting more efficiency out of women" was published in "Transportation Magazine." The article presented 'guidelines' for choosing women for employment. 1. Pick young married women. They usually have more of a sense of responsibility than their unmarried sisters; they're less likely to be flirtatious; they need the work or they wouldn't be doing it; they still have the pep and interest to work hard and to deal with the public efficiently. 2. When you use older women, get those who have worked outside the home. Older women who have never contacted the public have a hard time adapting themselves and are inclined to be cantankerous and fussy. It's always well to impress upon older women the importance of friendliness and courtesy. 3. "Husky" girls are more even tempered and efficient than their underweight sisters. 4. Retain a physician to give each woman you hire a special physical examination. This protects the property against the possibilities of lawsuit, and reveals whether the employee has female weaknesses which would make her mentally or physically unfit for the job. 5. Stress the importance of time. Losing a minute or two makes problems for schedules. Until they understand, service is likely to be slowed. 6. Give the female employee a definite day-long schedule of duties so that they'll keep busy without bothering the management for instructions every few minutes. 7. Let the employee change from one job to another at some time during the day. Women are inclined to be less nervous and happier with change. 8. Give every girl an adequate number of rest periods during the day. You have to make some allowances for feminine psychology. 9. Be tactful when issuing instructions or in making criticisms. Women are often sensitive; they can't shrug off harsh words the way men do. 10. Be considerate about using strong language around women. She'll grow to dislike a place of business where she hears too much of this. 11. Get a size variety in operator's uniforms so that each girl can have a proper fit. This point can't be stressed too much in keeping women happy. The tips are hardly slogans of empowerment for the modern woman. Although the article is condescending in tone, many of the suggestions for supervision apply to any employee, male or female. Many of the guidelines are genderless. Very few workers enjoy ridicule, no breaks or long hours at the same task without change. And everyone prefers a uniform that fits to one that does not. Perhaps the followers of Rosie the Riveter in 1943 not only solidified a place in the workforce for women, but lit a spark for the future betterment of work conditions for both men and women. After all, it wouldn't be the first time that a woman had done a "man's job." Some may wonder what the slogan for the 21st century woman is. But with more than 60 percent of women participating in the workforce today, (200,000 of whom are active-duty military) who needs one?