–submitted by Janet Piraino
Jodi Barnett, Women’s Veteran Coordinator at the State Department of Veterans Affairs, spoke to the club about the challenges of being a woman in the military. She talked about the discrimination she faced, such as the time she was told at a veterans’ meeting that the women’s auxiliary met on Tuesdays. Or, the time she was told at the VA Hospital that she could not sign in for her husband.
She also highlighted the gains women veterans are making as the fastest growing demographic of veterans. She credited State DVA Secretary Mary Kolar (the first female Wisconsin DVA secretary) as helping her and other women veterans break the glass ceiling. She praised the election of Verona Veteran Denise Rohan as the American Legion’s first female national commander in the group’s 100+ year history. She also applauded the first all-female Wisconsin Honor Flight that took 88 women veterans to Washington, D.C. in May to visit the nation’s war memorials.
Barnett praised Wisconsin services for veterans and encouraged club members to check out the I Am Not Invisible campaign currently traveling around Wisconsin to increase awareness of and facilitate dialogue about women veterans.
If you missed our Rotary meeting last week, you can watch the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M501l0I7aT0.
Rotary Club of Madison, Wisconsin 