WIESBADEN, Germany – The U.S. Army Garrison Wiesbaden celebrated Women’s Equality Day Aug. 26 with a cake cutting and speech at the Stronger Together Café dining facility on Clay Kaserne.
This year celebrates the 101st anniversary of the passage of the 19th amendment, which gave women the right to vote.
Lt. Col. Claudia E. Pena, guest speaker from G5, U.S. Army Europe-Africa, focused her speech on improvements within Army policies regarding pregnancy and new mothers in the Army and how taking care of them, improves readiness.
“The last couple of years has been tremendous for women in the military,” Pena said. “Pregnancy discrimination has been recognized by DoD and now women cannot be passed over for promotion or forced to get out of the service because of pregnancy.”
Pena also spoke about units beginning to designate nursery rooms for lactating mothers.
Additionally, Pena spoke of other Army policy changes women have benefited from recently.
“As of last February, female soldiers can wear makeup, earrings and have ponytails in uniform,” Pena said. “Ponytails can prevent hair loss and headaches which improves a female soldier’s health and morale.”
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