Women Joining Forces
More than two million women have served in the U.S. Armed Forces and there are currently 1.8 million women veterans. As part of the ongoing commitment of Business and Professional Women's Foundation to support women veterans, BPW Foundation has conducted research, centralized resources and developed programs to help our 'sheroes' and their families as they transition into civilian professional life.
– Closing Ranks, Opening Doors (WJF) provides programming and resources to support women veterans and their families as they return to their civilian lives. WJF also includes the Women Veterans in Transition Research Project, to examine the needs and experiences of women veterans as they enter the civilian workforce.
BPW Foundation invites veterans, soldiers and military spouses to utilize our services, share information and experiences with other women veterans through the Women Joining Forces Facebook page.
News from Business and Professional Women’s Foundation:
Business and Professional Women’s (BPW) Foundation is pleased to share our newly-developed Joining Forces for Women Veterans (JFWV) Summit Toolkit with you. Last fall, we held an Inaugural Summit in Washington, DC that brought together businesses, government, education, and civic leaders. Our JFWV Summit Toolkit is designed to encourage the presentation of additional Summits by providing resources to get people thinking and talkingundefinedin their communities and workplacesundefinedabout the key issues and challenges facing women veterans. The format can be as broad as a full-scale, community-led forum or as limited as a brown-bag discussion at work. You may want to start a mentorship program or affinity group for women veterans in the workplace or launch a community initiative. Whatever your goal, this toolkit will get you off the ground.
Modeled on our recently-released WOMENomics® Forum Toolkit, the JFWV Summit Toolkit focuses on issues related to the challenges women veterans face. It contains a series of discussion guides that address family and community reintegration, homelessness, employment and careers, and mentorship programs. Additionally, we have provided a nuts and bolts “how to” guide for working with the media, planning your event, and hosting a webchat. This toolkit is an excellent resource not only to plan and conduct a Summit, but to support your ongoing efforts on behalf of women veterans.
BPW Foundation stands committed to an action agenda that supports the successful transition and advancement of women veterans in their workplaces of choice and in their communities. We also want to help employers find women veterans, capitalize on their skills, and advance their leadership talents.
Please help us continue this important work by carrying on Summit discussions in your workplace and your community. Our October 2010 Inaugural Summit was an important beginning, and your continued collective targeted actions and collaborative strategies will expand and enhance our efforts make a meaningful impact on the lives of women veterans.
If you have questions about holding a Summit, or would like more information about this or any other BPW program, please contact us at womenvetsummit@bpwfoundation.org.