Women Misbehavin'

Well behaved women never make history

Archive for the ‘Health’ Category

« Previous Entries
Next Entries »

Paid Sick Leave Legislation Catching on Across the Country

Posted by egehl on June 23, 2011

Momentum is building across the country at the state and local level in support of paid sick leave days.

Currently no federal  laws guaranty that all workers must be eligible for a minimum number of paid sick days.  As a result, millions of workers across the country cannot afford or don’t feel comfortable taking time off when they feel sick, or need to take care of a family member.  Workers must choose between their health or their paycheck leading to many consequences, such as workers becoming increasingly ill or having to take time off without pay hurting their family financially.

A few years ago, the Healthy Families Act was introduced in Congress which requires businesses with 15 or more employees to provide up to 7 days of paid sick leave each year.  Three components of the bill are of significant benefit to women as the paid leave covers: recovery from routine illness or care for an ill family member; doctor’s appointments and other preventative care; and time spent seeking help and services for victims of domestic violence, stalking, or sexual assault.

Building off the national campaign to pass the Healthy Families Act, states and cities are following suit with support for paid sick leave for workers.  For example, Connecticut has just become the first state in the nation to pass paid sick days legislation that will ensure workers will be able to take paid time off to recover when they are sick or to care for a sick family member.  There are three cities, San Francisco, Washington, DC, and Milwaukee where employees and their families benefit from some form of paid sick leave.  The Mayor of  Philadelphia recently vetoed paid sick leave legislation passed by the City Council.

According to a new study by the Institute for Women’s Policy Research, San Francisco’s mandatory sick-leave law has wide acceptance among employees and employers.  IWPR’s survey found that two-thirds of employers support the San Francisco law, and only 1 in 7 employers complained that it affected their profitability.  The typical worker covered by the law used only three sick days per year and one quarter of employees took no time off for illness.

There is growing support for policies, such as paid sick leave, that protect the health of workers and their families to reflect the economic realities of family life today.  Now that women make up almost half of the workforce, most families with children have two working parents and growing numbers of workers care for an aging parent, few can afford to lose a day’s pay because they stayed home sick or cared for a sick loved one.

In addition to Connecticut, action is expected soon on paid sick leave measures around the county in a number of cities and states that have robust coalitions and advocacy efforts including Seattle, and Denver.  In New York City, Massachusetts, Georgia, California and a dozen other states and cities, coalitions are actively building support for similar measures.

With these positive developments, stay tuned to hear more about states and cities supporting this sensible, long overdue measure to help workers balance their lives and take care of their families while still being able to afford it.

Posted in Advocacy, Families, Health, Successful Workplaces, Worklife Balance | Tagged: , , , , | 1 Comment »

Joining Forces: Women Veterans Speak Out

Posted by YWM on May 9, 2011

Read our second installment of our new every-other-week Joining Forces feature that will bring us the voices of women veterans telling their stories.  If you are a women veteran who would like to share your story, please contact us through our Joining Forces for Women Veterans Facebook page.

What Front Line? by Tonya V. James

When we watch television or listen to stories of service members recounting the effects of post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and combat stress,  we often times only see and think of male service members. You may think that maybe women do not deal with these type issues because they are not a part of combat arms units. While that is technically correct, female service members cannot be assigned to combat arms units, they can be in combat service support jobs, and are often attached to combat arms units.

The myths of a “front-line” type of war like the Civil War and that women are “in the rear with gear” are a thing of the past. Women are receiving combat action ribbons and Purple Heart Medals like never before.  Yet Americans today seem to have a hard time grasping the concept of their daughters on patrols in occupied cities or leading convoys on dangerous routes where improvised explosives devices (IEDs) are planted. The fact of the matter is they are, and they are doing it just as well as their male counterparts.

While I was deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom to the Helmand Province, I was a part of what is called a Female Engagement Team which consisted of four female Marines and one female Navy corpsman. Our job was to go along when one of the infantry units went out to patrol. We would go out with them to talk to local women because the males were not permitted to do so. Our primary mission was to win their hearts and minds and gain valuable intelligence about insurgents.  While we were out on missions, I never felt overwhelmingly afraid, although, my adrenaline did increase at times.  But everything would feel normal once we returned back to our base camp.  It was not until my return to the States that I started having very vivid nightmares of someone trying to kill me, and was unable to sleep. Based on questions I was asked at my required post deployment health assessment, I learned that I was dealing with combat stress.  The scary part is that I answered no to most of the questions when the real answer was a big fat yes.  And I honestly believe that a lot of female service members do answer no while on active duty. They may feel that their role was not as great as their male counterparts and in turn believe that what they are going through is not a big deal. Which still does not change the fact that they have a lot emotional and mental issues that need to be dealt with whether they remain on active duty or not.  But the important thing to remember is that it is always easier to get help and support while on active duty, or at least get it started, before leaving the ranks.

As troops return home from war, some leave active duty soon after returning without getting the helpor dcoumentaiont of their health status.   This is important if they are going to get services after leaving active duty.  I cannot stress the importance of taking your mental evaluation seriously and not downplaying any emotions that you may be feeling, because your service is no different than that of your brothers-in-arms.  A little known fact is that one in three service members that go to a combat zone do have some level of combat stress and that female service members are twice as likely to suffer from PTSD as males. It is also important that once you leave active duty, if you feel that you need help, seek it out immediately. These emotions do not just go away with time, as we can see from the Vietnam Era veterans. A site I recommended to those that have asked for my help after leaving active duty is www.ptsdhelp.net. There are many other organizations, including VA and non VA,  that can get you the right help that you need.

Posted in Joining Forces, Joining Forces for Women Veterans, Mental health, Veterans, Women's Equality Day | Tagged: , , | Leave a Comment »

White House Council on Women and Girls Releases New Report

Posted by egehl on March 2, 2011

Yesterday the White House Council on Women and Girls held a conference call to discuss a report entitled Women in America  prepared for them by the Office of Management and Budget and the Economics and Statistics Administration within the Department of Commerce. 

This comprehensive report pulls together information from across the Federal statistical agencies to compile baseline information on how women are faring in the United States today and how these trends have changed over time.  The report provides a statistical portrait showing how women’s lives are evolving in five critical areas: People, Families, and Income; Education; Employment; Health; and Crime, Violence, and Criminal Justice. 

BPW Foundation was interested in learning about all of these areas, especially how the data pertains to women veterans.

Overall the report gives mixed news for women.  It shows that young women now are more likely than young men to have a bachelor’s or master’s degree, and the numbers of women and men in the labor force are almost equal.  Yet wages and income for women remain inequitable.  At all levels of education, women earned about 75 percent of what their male counterparts earned in 2009.  Among the health findings, women still live longer than men, but the gap is closing as women are more likely to face certain health problems, such as mobility impairment, arthritis, asthma, depression and obesity.

This report gives a significant overview of women’s lives today.  The facts help paint a picture of how women are changing over time and the current challenges they are facing.  It is important that as a country we gain a better understanding of women’s social, health and economic well-being so that public policies can be reflective of these needs and changes.  Moving forward this report will be a useful tool in helping stakeholders with a vested interest in women make more sound decisions. 

To see the full report visit the White House Council on Women and Girls website. 

Here are some of the interesting statistics included in the report about all women, including women veterans:

  • Women are marrying later and have fewer children than in the past.
  • Although more adult women live in married-couple families than in any other living arrangement, an ever-growing number of women are raising children without a spouse. 
  • More women are remaining childless, although eight out of ten adult women have children.
  • Because women live longer, women continue to outnumber men at older ages. 
  • Women are more likely to live in poverty than are adult men.
  • Women’s gains in educational attainment have significantly outpaced those of men over the last 40 years.  Today, younger women are more likely to graduate from college than are men and are more likely to hold a graduate school degree.  Higher percentages of women than men have at least a high school education, and higher percentages of women than men participate in adult education.
  • Female students are less well represented than men in science and technology-related fields, which typically lead to higher paying occupations.
  • The participation of women in the workforce rose dramatically through the mid-1990s, but has been relatively constant since then. 
  • Despite their gains in labor market experience and in education, women still earn less than men. 
  • Because women earn less and because two-earner households have higher earnings, families headed by women have far less income than do married-couple families.
  • Women are disproportionately more likely than men to be affected by certain critical health problems, including mobility impairments, chronic health conditions such as asthma, arthritis, or depression.  Women are less likely to be physically active and are more likely to be obese.
  • Women generally use the health care system and preventive care more than men, but many women still do not receive recommended preventive care such as pap smears or flu vaccinations.
  • Attacks on women by their intimate partners have fallen since the passage of the Violence Against Women Act in 1994, although women are still much more likely to be victimized and injured by this type of violence than are men.  

Posted in Career Advancement, Economy, Equal Pay, Families, Health, Lifestyle, Pay Equity, Research, STEM, Successful Workplaces, Women Veterans, Women's History Month | Tagged: , , , | Leave a Comment »

The Lessons of Eat Pray Love

Posted by egehl on February 14, 2011

It has been a few years since I read the book, and after recently seeing the movie I was reminded again why the storyline has resonated so deeply with me and millions of other women.  Eat Pray Love exploded into cataclysmic popularity for a reason—it struck a powerful chord and unearthed common threads of joy, pain, loss, renewal and the insecure struggle to follow our hearts that we all endure.  

Now that I’ve read the book and watched the film, I keep thinking about why the characters and plot have been so popular worldwide and what nerve did they hit?  It seems to me that when women universally rally behind something it’s usually because it’s touched upon something that’s not being talked about or remains suppressed in our societal dialogue.  

Very similar to the huge female following and response to Sex and the City, which empowered women to talk openly and honestly about relationships and sex, Eat Pray Love uncovered a popular emotion and angst among women about loving and getting to know ourselves, following our passions and happiness, facing our fears and taking a leap of faith, and figuring out what we really want in life. 

Just like Sex and the City ripped away society’s taboo about female sexuality, I think similarly Eat Pray Love uncovered a universal desire that women crave to discover our truths and to find the courage to follow them.

Stories and characters in Sex and the City and Eat Pray Love forced a conversation among women, and between women and their partners, about the relationships we have with ourselves and each other.  And ultimately how those relationships can lead us closer to, or stray us away from, true happiness and why we continually find ourselves in a perpetual state of self-exploration.  

All women at some point second guess their decisions, ruminate about their current life status or try to resolve what’s missing in their lives.  However as women we often never talk openly about it.  In my experience, many women love putting forth a mask of perfection and will paint an ideal picture for everyone to admire to keep up whatever pretense that seems acceptable.  Many of us rarely discuss what’s really happening behind closed doors for fear of being judged, having our actions and thoughts called into question, or opening up the possibility of doubts being planted. 

Unfortunately that has its price and Liz Gilbert in her amazing journey busts all of that open as she lets us into her very personal journey of self discovery through a period of intense depression, guilt and doubt but eventually crossing over to a place where she finally finds peace, self-love and balance. 

I have read mostly positive reviews of Eat Pray Love, but there are some negative ones too.  The negativity usually stems around how she acted in a narcissistic way by leaving her husband for no real reason, and how unrealistic it is for someone to have the financial means and freedom to travel for a year.  Granted, 99% of people cannot experience the full extent of Liz’s adventures, but I don’t think that was her point in writing this book.  She wrote this book for her own breakthrough, not to pronounce that travel is the only way to seek spiritual renewal and self-discovery.  That is what worked for her and while travel is a wonderful way to find yourself, it isn’t the only way. 

What people should gain and come away with isn’t to follow exactly what Liz did, but to seek your own pathway to self-love and inner peace.  Because as women no matter what life stage we are in, what responsibilities we have or decisions we’ve made, it’s imperative that we must not be idle in what should be an ongoing journey of self-discovery. 

I don’t think you have to travel to a far off land to ruminate and gauge the various things happening in your life.  There are many ways to find avenues for serenity, spirituality and self-learning here at home.   Whatever brings you peace and clear-headedness, whether that’s a yoga class, meditation, walk in a park, swim in a pool or writing in a journal, do more of it.  I believe you can discover the same “aha” moments Liz had in your own backyard. 

Overall what I hope women take away from this story, beyond the wonderful scenery and backdrop, idyllic romance and fabulous characters along the way, is that each of us has the responsibility for our own well-being and ultimate happiness.  It’s easy to fantasize about having a spiritual retreat and traveling around the world like Liz, but underneath all of that was the incredibly strenuous, honest and painful mirror she had to look into everyday to reach the sense of peace and understanding she so desperately sought.  It is our responsibility to figure that out in whatever shape or form that looks like.  And if we take the time to experience that enlightening, sometimes very painful, journey the payoffs will be rewarding and long lasting.

Posted in Feminism, Friendship, Lifestyle, Mental health | Tagged: , | 1 Comment »

National Wear Red Day is this Friday, February 4th!

Posted by egehl on February 2, 2011

A lot of wonderful things happen in February including Valentine’s Day, Black History Month, Mardi Gras (for us New Orleanians), the Super Bowl and importantly for women, National Wear Red Day.  Every year during the first week of February is National Wear Red Day, a day for women to think about their heart health and how their physical and emotional lifestyle might be helping or hurting their heart.

Mark your calendar because this Friday, February 4th is National Wear Red Day!  

National Wear Red Day is a chance for women nationwide to show that they care about their heart health, and will take action towards preventing heart disease through healthy eating, exercise and regular checkups with their doctor.  This national event is sponsored by the American Heart Association (AHA).

Many women don’t realize that heart disease is the number 1 killer of women. 

As our lives become more hectic and stressful it’s critical to be mindful of how that strain could be impacting your heart health.  At any age it’s important to have a healthy diet, perform regular exercise, and decrease stress as prevention strategies. However in order for women to reach their diet and exercise goals,  there must be better access to healthy foods especially in poorer neighborhoods, improved public recreation facilities and listings of nutritional information in more restaurants.

A study published in the Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes journal showed that racial gaps exist in women’s heart-health awareness, women’s knowledge of heart attack warning signs is not sufficient, and nearly half of women report they would not call 9-1-1 if they were having heart attack symptoms.

Further, the study revealed that although 60 percent of white women were aware of heart disease as the leading cause of death for women, less than half of African-American (43 percent), Hispanic (44 percent) and Asian (34 percent) women identified heart disease as the leading cause.  In addition, most women lacked knowledge of proven therapies for preventing cardiovascular disease and half of younger women ages 25-34 were unaware of heart disease as women’s number one killer.

Therefore in order to really tackle the high rates of heart disease among women, there must be better awareness among multicultural and younger women, increased education about what to look for in terms of warning signs of a heart attack, and more explanation about why it’s important to call 9-1-1 if you experience heart attack symptoms.

You can help spread the word about the importance of heart health by doing something to recognize National Wear Red Day this Friday.  This could include wearing red on Friday, asking your workplace to recognize the event and encourage employees to wear red, writing an op-ed to your newspaper, or having a heart themed event in your community.  

While it’s great to do something for National Wear Red Day, you should be mindful about your heart every day.

Year-round it’s important to sustain awareness and educational campaigns around the prevalence of heart disease and how to prevent it. 

You can be cognizant about heart disease by encouraging friends and family to get regular checkups so that they are aware of any physical symptoms that might pose problems down the road.  That alone is a great way to recognize National Wear Red Day not only this week but throughout the year.

Posted in Diversity, Health, Worklife Balance | Tagged: , , , , , , | 1 Comment »

New Study Sheds Important Light on Women Veterans

Posted by egehl on January 31, 2011

BPW Foundation applauds Senator Mark Warner (D-VA) for successfully amending a defense appropriations bill in 2009 to direct the Veteran’s Administration (VA) inspector general to examine the gender differences in the prevalence and diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), traumatic brain injury and other combat-related conditions.  The study has now been released and results show that the VA needs to work harder to inform women of services available to them, and needs to better train staff to deal with the specific problems that women face in combat.

The study concludes that female military members returning from Iraq and Afghanistan are more likely to be diagnosed with mental-health conditions than their male counterparts.  It also found that women are much more likely to suffer from major depression and to have a harder time transitioning back to civilian life after combat service than men.

Further, the report reveals important reasons why women veterans have a harder time transitioning back to civilian life than their male counterparts, and how the VA can tear down the obstacles women face to receive PTSD treatment.  It also sheds light on the often unspoken needs of women veterans and the gender differences that exist, such as the lack of official recognition that women have served in a combat zone, which impedes their ability to get the benefits they deserve. 

With this new information, the VA has identified and corrected one of the biggest obstacles facing women who need care for PTSD: the requirement that they have served in direct combat, which leaves out many female service members because Defense Department policy requires that women be excluded from units that primarily engage in direct ground combat.  This rule has now been eliminated, which had essentially blocked women veterans from getting PTSD care. 

The wars in Afghanistan and Iraq have clearly challenged our traditional definition of combat, as women are often exposed to many war-time incidents that can produce mental stress, such as road-side bombs, and cause women to feel like they are on the frontlines.  Therefore an increasing number of veterans are experiencing traumatic events without direct combat experience.   This is now being recognized by the VA and they will allow any veteran that served in a combat zone to apply for help with PTSD.

Since 2007, BPW Foundation has engaged in programming and research about women veterans to identify solutions for their transition from military to civilian life through our Women Joining Forces (WJF) initiative.  Information in the VA report aligns and builds on the research BPW Foundation has conducted about the state of women veterans, and the challenges they often face after serving our country.  

BPW Foundation’s research shows that gender shapes men and women’s military experience as well as their transition process to civilian life.  While both men and women face transitional challenges, the challenges have different manifestations because of gender.  Upon arriving home many women veterans do not identify as veterans and can feel socially isolated and alone, which can result in feelings of hopelessness and confusion that only exacerbate possible symptoms of PTSD and depression from being exposed to war.  Women veterans are more likely to fall into homelessness than their non-veteran female counterparts, and as of last year 11.2 percent of women veterans were unemployed. 

All of these factors are exacerbated because many women veterans do not identify as veterans and do not understand the benefits available to them thereby denying them the services and treatment they desperately need.  This is why the findings of the VA study are so powerful because it identifies specific problems in our system and prompts long overdue recommendations for viable solutions. 

Now that the study has been completed, Senator Warner sent a letter to Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki to urge him to take swift action on the problems identified in the study.

Stay tuned for further developments taking place in the aftermath of this long overdue report.

Posted in Joining Forces for Women Veterans, Mental health, Research, Veterans, Women Veterans | Tagged: , , , | 2 Comments »

News to Chew On: Link Love for Lunch

Posted by sherrysaunders on January 21, 2011

Men expect more bonuses and raises than women [Today]

50 good age for female C-level executives [Forbes]

Politics likely to keep women out of combat this year [Stripes]

Balancing professional aspirations with family [Science Magazine]

Striking pay gap between men and women continues to exist [HROnLine]

More on how paid leave in California is working for familes and business [HRBR online]

GM names Mary Barra head of product development.  First woman to hold that position at GM [New York Times]

Study: Macho women face backlash at work [Science Daily]

Women can be innovators too [Boston.com]

Good bye to Kay Mills, feminist journalist [Washington Post]

Rep Slaughter: Don’t return to discriminatory health care against women [Huffington Post]

Women in today’s workforce still underpaid and treated unfairly [Nevada Sage Brush]

Daddy track parenting [Parenting] 

Escape the 10 tyrannies of work/life balance [WorkLifeFit]

 The female factor: A Wound in Strategy from U.S. Political Harmony [New York Times]

Lifting ban on women in combat is positive move [Chron.com]  

Women in the workplace: The bitching point [Forbes]

US lags behind in offering family-medical leave [MSNBC]

Flexible schedules boon for employees and business [Boston.com]

In the military: Mission, motherhood and myths [Examiner.com]

Constitutional support for women’s rights [ehow.com]

Woman with baby bump asked to leave bar [Alternet.org]

Among women in Congress, a bond of friendship [New York Times]

Women less interested in jobs where competition determines pay [ehstoday.com]

Posted in Feminism, Health, Link Love, Pay Equity, Uncategorized, Women Veterans | Tagged: , , , , | 1 Comment »

Distressing Research about Suicide Rate Among Women Veterans

Posted by egehl on December 14, 2010

Mental health problems and experiences do not discriminate.  They impact everyone regardless of race, background, age or status. 

However one population in particular is acutely feeling the onset of intense feelings of depression and despair, which is leading to alarmingly high rates of suicide—women veterans.   According to a recent study by Portland State University and Oregon Health and Science University, it found that younger women with military service are three times more likely to kill themselves than their civilian counterparts. 

While it is known that many women veterans experience post traumatic stress syndrome (PTSD), hypertension and depression, until this study there was not a clear sense of whether these and other symptoms were leading to acts of suicide.  However now there is, and stakeholders invested in the health and well-being of women veterans must be mindful of this latest research and react accordingly so that women veterans have the mental health support they deserve.

The report entitled, “Self-Inflicted Deaths Among Women With U.S. Military Service: A Hidden Epidemic?”, has sparked an important and timely dialogue about mental health problems occurring among female veterans.  This research effort led by the Oregon Universities is the largest study on suicides among female veterans, and is based on information collected from 16 states.   The study examined 5,948 female suicides between 2004 and 2007, and found that women veterans aged 18 to 34 were most at risk. 

Prior to this study the high number of suicides among male veterans was well known, however until now it was not adequately tracked or documented that female veterans are taking their own lives at a similar rate.  What this research has unfortunately uncovered is that young women who served in the military are three times more likely to commit suicide than their civilian counterparts. 

There are significant factors that can explain these alarming numbers such as women veterans are more likely to experience military sexual assault (MST) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which can result in high rates of homelessness, difficulties securing work, and reintegration challenges which in turn only exacerbate the mental health problems.  And compounding the issue even more, women veterans are less likely than men to use Veteran’s Administration (VA) health care services, or self-identify themselves as veterans so mental health professionals may not know to look for symptoms based on their unique experiences.

Another factor contributing to women experiencing higher levels of stress is that their roles in combat have changed.  While the Pentagon bans women from ground combat roles, a shift has happened in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.  During these intense conflicts, women have found themselves “manning” machine guns, searching and arresting Iraqi civilians, and driving along IED-ridden roads.  Therefore it shouldn’t be a surprise that women are experiencing the same levels of PTSD and depression as their male counterparts; yet veteran services are not reflective of that and failing to recognize these shifts in responsibilities and expectations which will lead to an increase in female mental trauma. 

The trauma of combat, aggravated by the prevalence of sexual assault, leaves many female veterans at risk for suicide.  For those female veterans that have experienced military sexual assault (MST) they should be able to seek a safe place and opportunity for support that is tailored specifically to what a woman needs for her to heal from this distressing experience.  This is important because incidents of sexual assault within the military are rising.  In March, the Department of Defense issued its annual report on sexual assault, citing an 11 percent increase in reported sexual assaults throughout the past year.  And overall women experience higher rates of military sexual assault while in the service (20-40 percent) than men, and repeated exposure to traumatic stressors will increase the likelihood of PTSD.

It is glaringly evident that the mental health needs of female veterans are increasing and having an overall impact on the health care services provided by government and private clinics.  Mental health services must be better designed with women’s needs in mind and incorporate the unique experiences female veterans have endured during their service. 

However that is not often the case.  Women must face access issues including limited availability of women-specific services, unwelcoming practices that occur at medical centers and clinics, and harmful social beliefs and perceptions about women veterans.  Overall many clinics, including the VA, are not prepared to treat high rates of PTSD among women as a recent study found that the nearest VA site did not offer mental health care for approximately 40 percent of women veterans.  

Across the board mental health continues to be a taboo issue that many people struggle to address appropriately.  However for women veterans the confusion of knowing if there’s a significant problem and how to seek help can be even more paralyzing and cumbersome resulting in fewer women getting the help they need.  This study is an upsetting reminder that there’s a huge need among the women veteran population and should be a wake-up call to veteran stakeholders to pay attention and react in ways that will better address and solve this mental health crisis.

Posted in Families, Health, Homelessness, Joining Forces for Women Veterans, Mental health, Research, Veterans, Women Veterans | Tagged: , , , | Leave a Comment »

Face AIDS on World AIDS Day

Posted by joyinhome on December 1, 2010

HIV/AIDS is nature’s oxymoron. Sex is supposed to bring forth life, but now, it can potentially destroy it. Let’s ALL stay safe. Know your status. Get tested. Drop the stigma. Face AIDS.

A global snapshot:

  • 33.4 million people are living with HIV/AIDS worldwide
  • 2.1 million of those are children under 15
  • 2.9 million people were newly infected with HIV in 2009
  • 1.8 million people died from HIV-related causes in 2009
  • 67% of the people living with HIV/AIDS are in Sub-Saharan Africa
  • Young people account for half of new HIV infections

What will you be doing to commemorate the day?

More at The Red Pump Project.

Posted in Advocacy, Education, Global, Health, HIV AIDS | Tagged: , , | Leave a Comment »

How What I Learned Helped One Female Vet

Posted by joyinhome on November 10, 2010

image

Let’s rewind about fifteen years…I was attending a family 50th anniversary event. I was excited to see a cousin with whom I was close growing up. I had not seen her in at least seven years: she joined the Army, I went to college.

I approached her babbling, eager to catch up and hugging her. She looked up to acknowledge me and gave a slight smile. This was not Ronnie; it looked like her but not quite her. I don’t remember the brief conversation but the next day begged my mother to contact family members because something was wrong. The rest is foggy. I didn’t see her again for at least a decade.

Fast forward to Labor Day 2010. At a family cookout, I spent time with her and recognized her again. There was still something in those eyes but we promised to keep in touch.

Later that evening as I said my goodbyes, I overheard her saying that she was opening a home for disabled women vets. My ears perked up and I pulled her aside. I told her that the organization I worked for was having a Summit for women vets in a few months and asked her to attend and participate. She agreed. We met the next week and she shared her story with me.

I told our CEO I had an event speaker who could speak to the reintegration of women veterans. Veronica Harrison served on our panel at Joining Forces for Women Veterans last month. Hear what she and other female veterans had to say.

A few days after the event, I shared my memory of her at that anniversary celebration so long ago with Ronnie. I told her that it was not until few years ago that due to my work on women veteran issues did I recognize what I saw that day so long ago. She was quiet and began to cry. “I was gone.” I told her that I was so sorry that our family didn’t understand and couldn’t help her. We need to make sure families can be a support system for our ‘sheroes.’

Today, I can’t catch Ronnie because she has so many meetings and appointments to lay the foundation for The Lighthouse, the transitional home that she is establishing.

I am so proud of Veronica Harrison! I love her and thank her for her service to this country. It’s Veterans Day, you should do the same. Thank a veteran for his or her service today and always. Learn more about supporting women veterans at www.womenjoiningforces.org.

Posted in Advocacy, Families, Mental health, Veterans, Women Veterans | Tagged: | 2 Comments »

« Previous Entries
Next Entries »
 
Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 105 other followers