Washington, DC – Yesterday, Congresswoman Julia Brownley (D-CA), Chairwoman of the Women Veterans Task Force, hosted the first Women Veterans Task Force roundtable with a diverse group of women veterans who are current or past leaders in Veterans Service Organizations (VSOs) to discuss how to address and resolve representational challenges in our nation’s VSOs.
“When women serve in the military, they are a visible minority. When they leave, women veterans often become invisible and forgo participating in Veterans Service Organizations because of cultural barriers,” said Congresswoman Brownley. “At this roundtable, I was pleased to welcome a diverse group of women who served in the U.S. military and continue to serve in Veterans Service Organizations to hear how we can break down barriers and ensure that Congress, VSOs, and community-based organizations work together to support all who served.”
The roundtable featured:
- Dr. Linda Schwartz, Special Advisor to the President, Vietnam Veterans of America
- Ms. Terri Williams, 1st Junior Vice Commander, Disabled American Veterans, Chapter 10
- Ms. Denise Perry, Maryland State Commander, Veterans of Foreign Wars
- Ms. Denise Rohan, Past National Commander, The American Legion
- Ms. Melissa Bryant, Former Chief Policy Officer, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America
- Ms. Jennifer Silva, Chief Program Officer, Wounded Warrior Project
The topics discussed during the roundtable spanned a wide range of issues from women veterans and self-identification, to social isolation of women veterans and opportunities for collaboration between Congress, VSOs, and community-based organizations.
Issues: 116th Congress, Veterans' Affairs, Women Veterans Task Force