Woman History Month Message from your Women Veterans Advisory Committee (WVAC)
“It matters because I AM SHE and SHE IS ME!”
March is Women’s History month, and throughout the month, the public is invited to honor women by exploring this year’s official them: “celebrating women who tell our stories.”
Your WDVA honors the contributions of women serving in the military and the family members of veterans and celebrates the diversity and history of their achievements to a storied veteran history we all share. There are currently more than 2 million women veterans who live in the United States.
On March 8, the world celebrates International Women’s Day, a celebration that begin in 1911 to call notice to the economic, political, and social achievements of women around the globe.
The best way to get involved in Washington state within the women veteran community is to not only celebrate the stories of the many Washington Women Veterans, but to also connect them to their earned benefits and resources.
The mission of the WDVA Women Veterans Advisory Committee, or WVAC, shall be to ensure that Washington's women veterans have equitable access to federal and state veterans' services and benefits.
- Connect women to their identity as veterans
- Change the public perception of what veterans look like
- Connect women veterans to benefits
- Connect women veterans to community
“The WVAC is important because it's very reason for being is so that the challenges women veterans face is not diluted, dismissed, or misunderstood in a sense we are responsible for ensuring that ALL of our women veterans are seen and honored for their service,” said WVAC President and U.S. Army Veteran, Shellie Willis.
The WVAC joins together monthly to aligning the top priorities in 2023 for women veterans:
- Create multiple ways to access health care for women especially in rural communities
- Galvanize women veterans throughout the state of Washington to gather and share their stories
- Champion one another by acknowledging our service to our nation across generations
“If we don't advocate for ourselves, we cannot effectively advocate for one another,” added Willis. “I don't take it for granted that I am on a position of privilege and must create a pathway for other sisters who have served feel is accessible to them.”
We remind all women who have served to stand up, no longer remain invisible and proudly state, “I have served!”
Learn More about the WVAC: Women Veterans | WDVA (wa.gov)
Additional VA Resources for Women
· Women Veterans Call Center: 855-VA-WOMEN
· Veteran Crisis Hotline: 988 (press 1)
· Caregiver Support Line: 855-260-3274
· VA Benefits Hotline: 1-800-827-1000