Just one in four American women say they’re extremely proud to be American, a stunning 13-point collapse in a single year that’s prompted a new campaign to revive the patriotic spirit that once defined generations of women who built this nation.
Independent Women, a nonprofit advocacy group, is launching “Rosie 250,” calling on women to reclaim the can-do attitude that powered the country through World War II. The campaign comes as Gallup polling shows American pride has cratered to a 25-year low, with women leading the decline.
The numbers are sobering. Beyond the dramatic drop in female pride, another poll found that two out of every five younger women would permanently leave the country if they could.
The campaign defines a modern Rosie as “a woman who loves her country, chooses her own path, and uses her strength, talent, and freedom to build something bigger than herself.” That definition is intentionally broad. While the original Rosie was portrayed as a blue-collar factory worker rolling up her sleeves on the assembly line, today’s version looks different.
“There is no single right way to be a woman,” the campaign states. “She may raise a family, build a career, serve her country, lead her community, or forge a path entirely her own. Every one of those lives helps build a stronger America.” The campaign also emphasizes partnership rather than division: a Rosie “stands alongside the men in her life, and believes America is worth strengthening for the next generation.”
The original Rosies didn’t wait to be asked. They saw a need and filled it. They understood that American liberty requires American citizens who are willing to sacrifice, to work, to build. That spirit hasn’t disappeared. It just needs rekindling.
