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Joint Base Balad celebrates Women’s Equality Day

Courtesy Photo | Guest speaker Col. Lisa Costanza, commander, 224th Sustainment Brigade, 103rd...... read more read more

JOINT BASE BALAD, IRAQ

08.26.2010

Courtesy Story

103rd Sustainment Command (Expeditionary)

By Sgt. Jessica Rohr

JOINT BASE BALAD, Iraq - Aug. 26, 1920, was a turning point in American history, as the 19th Amendment to the United States Constitution was ratified, giving women the right to vote. Ninety years later, the Joint Base Balad Equal Opportunity Team, made up of both U.S. Army and Air Force personnel, took the opportunity to celebrate by holding a Women’s Equality Month Observance Aug. 26 on JBB.

Lt. Col. Lucila Ibarra, the senior equal opportunity advisor and sexual assault response coordinator with the 103rd Sustainment Command (Expeditionary), and a Waukegan, Ill., native, welcomed distinguished guests, soldiers, and airmen with a riveting opening speech on the history of women’s equality.

“Women’s equality was first established Aug, 26, 1971, through an official Presidential Proclamation attributed to Rep. Bella Abzug, first Jewish Congresswoman,” said Ibarra.

Known mostly for her work in support of feminism, peace and civil liberties, Abzug, had a way of expressing herself by saying things such as, “Women have been trained to speak softly and carry a lipstick; those days are over,” or, “The test for whether or not you can hold a job should not be the arrangement of your chromosomes.”

Due to such outspoken and steadfast women in the past, people are now able to read headlines depicting extraordinary women being the first to accomplish formerly male-dominated tasks, shared Ibarra.

“In 2003, Command Sgt. Maj. Michelle Jones became the first female sergeant major for the U.S. Army Reserves,” proclaimed Ibarra. “In 1865, Dr. Mary E. Walker, a contract surgeon during the Civil War, was the first and only woman to receive the Congressional Medal of Honor.”

The celebration continued with many artistic performances.

A dance presentation to a poetry reading and a vocal performance by the JBB Gospel Choir was followed by the guest speaker.

The guest speaker, Col. Lisa Costanza, commander of the 224th Sustainment Brigade, 103rd ESC, and a Long Beach, Calif., native, focused her thoughts on women’s equality in the military, comparing the hard work of women’s rights pioneers to the selfless service of service members. But, Costanza asked, does true equality exist?

“In the United States, our bill of rights states clearly, ‘We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights,’” said Costanza in her keynote address. “So in…the U.S.A., we can say everyone is created equal, but what I ask you to think about is the words ‘created equal,’ perhaps after the creation part; we are not equal.

“Through life, so many things transpire; some work harder, some study harder, some have better family dynamics, some have more opportunities growing up, sometimes some just have better luck. And some people, when you get down to it, are more gifted and more talented.

“What does it all mean?” Costanza asked. “I believe that if you work hard and use your talents, you can and will succeed. You can be anything you want if you work, and study and prepare. Maybe there is no luck, and good things come to those who prepare and are prepared when opportunities arise.”

The luncheon came to a resounding close as poetry contest winner, Sgt. Sigrid Mabel, a theater redistributable assets manager with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 3rd Battalion,156th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Sustainment Brigade, 103rd ESC, and a San Ildefonso, N.M., native, read her poem, “Poem of Our History.”

She also shared her thoughts about the day’s events.

“I was amazed at how many men supported the women’s equality event, and I think that maybe has been an overlooked aspect of women’s history,” said Mabel. “We have had allies all along in the men that encouraged us to be equals and the amazing women we have become.”

The United States’ history and present day is filled with many male feminists and supporters, such as President Barak Obama.

“Women lead in boardrooms and in our Armed Forces, in classrooms and conference rooms, and in every sector of society,” stated President Obama in his Women's Equality Day, 2010 Proclamation. “Their boundless determination has enabled today's young women to dream bigger, as they see themselves reflected at the highest levels of business, communications, and public service - including in my administration and cabinet. If we continue to fight for our hopes and aspirations, there will be no limit to the possibilities for our daughters and granddaughters.”