ICYMI: Looking back on VA’s month-long celebration of women Veterans and their contributions to the nation

March was Women’s History Month, and VA honored, celebrated, and raised awareness of trailblazing women Veterans in multiple ways throughout the month:

• VA’s Center for Women Veterans (CWV) coordinated a traveling exhibit of art created by 10 Women Veterans that was displayed in 10 VA medical centers nationwide throughout the month of March. This initiative, accomplished at no cost to taxpayers due to our collaboration with nonprofit partner Veteran Artist Program and with support from First Data and Veterans Canteen Service, also has an exciting online component that includes videos of the women talking about their military service and creative journeys, as well as the art work of 10 honorable mentions. The exhibit will now travel on to additional sites; please check back on our dedicated webpage for information about locations and events, as well as blogs and podcasts featuring these amazing artists!
• Department of Labor Veterans Employment and Training Service – DoL VETS – partnered with CWV and Disabled American Veterans (DAV) to hold a Twitter Town Hall on services for women Veterans on March 15.
• CWV and the Defense Advisory Committee on Women in the Services co-hosted a celebration of the Female Enlisted Centennial Anniversary at the Women’s Memorial on March 21; more photos from this inspiring event commemorating women’s proud legacy of military service are here.
• As the director for CWV, I wrote a blog for the U.S. World War I Centennial Commission WWRite Blog on the first woman to officially enlist, Loretta P. Walsh.
• ExploreVA partnered with the Veterans Health Administration’s Women’s Health Services, CWV, and DAV to do a Facebook Live event and then answer online questions from the Washington, D.C. VA Medical Center on March 23.
• CWV read a selection by Beatrice Mary MacDonald at the PEN/Faulkner at Hill Center Reading Series: World War I and America event on March 28 to ensure women’s voices are included in commemorations of the Great War.
• VA hosted a Women’s History Month event at Central Office on March 29 featuring guest speakers from DoL, Civility Management Solutions and the American Legion honoring trailblazing women Veterans in labor and business.
• VA’s Center for Minority Veterans partnered with Women Veterans Interactive on a Minority Veterans Benefits Virtual Town Hall on 3/29.
• CWV partnered with DoL on a segment about women Veterans for Government Matters.
• CWV Associate Director Dr. Betty Moseley Brown spoke at Women’s History Month Events at the Martinsburg, WV VA Medical Center