WASHINGTON — In celebration of International Women’s Day this March 8, the Department of Veterans Affairs’ Center for Women Veterans is gifting stories of women Veterans to the Library of Congress Veterans History Project.
Collected letters, diaries, photographs ,and video and audio recordings of personal histories and testimonials of women Veterans will be used to create a collection of the original recordings.
To commemorate the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women Veterans a virtual celebration will be held 6 p.m. ET, March 8 on Facebook.
Panelists will engage in conversation sharing their experience participating in the collaboration between the I Am Not Invisible campaign and Veterans History Project — and how everyone can contribute to being better advocates for women Veterans.
“What better day to honor these brave women through sharing their experiences and advice?” said VA Center for Women Veterans Deputy Director and co-creator of the I Am Not Invisible Project Elizabeth Estabrooks. “Women are the fastest growing group in the Veteran population. VA understands women Veterans have a place in history and that’s why ‘The I Am Not Invisible Campaign 3.0’ focuses on giving women Veterans a safe platform to share their memories, reflections and thoughts.”
Congress created the Veterans History Project in 2000 to collect, preserve and make accessible the firsthand remembrances of United States war Veterans from World War I through the more recent conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan so that future generations may hear directly from Veterans and better understand the realities of military service.
By 2040, women will be 18% of the Veteran population, yet collections only consist of 6% of stories of service from women Veterans. That’s one of the reasons why the “I Am Not Invisible” campaign was created. Veterans can start preserving their story in history by contacting the Center for Women Veterans at 00W@VA.Gov, Veterans History Project or by calling 888-371-5848.
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