Women Veterans Visibility Project Saturday in Wasilla

WASILLA — Sponsored jointly by the YWCA (Young Women's Christian Association) and AVOW (Alaska Veterans Organization for Women), the event is intended to provide women veterans an opportunity to discuss issues of importance and concern in a more comfortable environment. Many women vets have stated there are issues related to their service that they don't feel comfortable discussing in mixed company of their male counterparts.

The project, has conducted meetings across Alaska from Anchorage to outlying locations to the south. Jessica Limbird, YWCA program associate, is overseeing the informal event. AVOW focuses its efforts to increase visibility and access to resources for the state's women veterans, as well as fostering community and connections between.

In a recent WVVP session held on the Kenai, some of the discussed topics included reluctance of women vets to identify as such. Other topics included the equal pay and services, the stigma of sexual harassment, and feeling less than equal and not as respected as their male counterparts. In the long term, statistics show those perceptions can have a negative psychological impact on women veterans.

Providing an opportunity for women vets to share and tell their stories is only part of the project. It's overall goal is to help empower them.

AVOW was founded in 2011 by Vanessa Meade, a US Army Gulf War veteran. Beginning in 2013, the program was brought under the wing of YWCA. It offers resources and referrals, career and finance counseling and monthly forums. Resource and referral appointments should be planned in advance. The monthly discussions--InForum, are held the second Tuesday of each month from 6-7:30 p.m. at YWCA Alaska, 324 E. 5th Avenue in Anchorage.

Saturday's event will take place at Mocha Moose, 340 Lucille Street, Wasilla. Registration limited to 25. Register online at matsuconversation.eventbrite.com. For more information, contact Libbird at 907-644-9612 or go to avow.ywcaak.org.