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Beyond Rosie: Women of the Puget Sound Naval 
Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility

 



The "Rosie the Riveters" of World War II are perhaps the most famous female shipyard workers, but this term oversimplifies the diverse experiences and contributions of women who have worked at shipyards across the nation.

For more than a century, women have worked at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility (PSNS & IMF). The first women worked as nurses, secretaries, and seamstresses, but today, women hold a variety of positions in nearly every job classification, level, trade, and rating in both Civil Service positions and in the U.S. Navy.

Women's transition into the workplace and into the military was far from easy. However, discrimination, prejudice, and harassment were met with courage, strength, and determination, paving the way for future generations of women.

Even today, women remain a minority at the Shipyard, in industrial work, and in the military, but their numbers continue to grow and they enjoy more opportunities and greater equality than ever.