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Rosie the Riveter: Working Women and World War II

The Women's Bureau

Howard R. Hollem, photographer. De Land Pool. 1942. United States. Office of War Information. Library of Congress Prints & Photographs Division.

An agency of the Department of Labor, the Women's Bureau was founded on June 5, 1920, by Public Law No.259. The mission of the Women's Bureau was to “formulate standards and policies which shall promote the welfare of wage-earning women, improve their working conditions, increase their efficiency, and advance their opportunities for profitable employment...It is the only federal agency mandated to represent the needs of wage-earning women in the public policy process." The bureau was also given the authority to investigate and report to the U.S. Department of Labor upon all matters pertaining to the welfare of women in industry. It is the only federal agency mandated to represent the needs of wage-earning women in the public policy process.

Browse the following headings in the Library of Congress Online Catalog for publications from the Women's Bureau:

Selected Print Resources

The following selected print resources link to full bibliographic information in the Library's online catalog.