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TIRANA, Albania – Women leaders of the New Jersey National Guard and Albanian Armed Forces recently conducted a multi-day event in connection with International Women’s Day by conducting discussion panels that address current issues impacting female service members. The meeting on March 5, 2024 included presentations, questions and answers, and guided conversations. The NJNG and AAF discussed and shared everyday experiences about women’s roles as leaders, sisters, and mothers.
“This meeting was extremely necessary and very important because when I see myself, I think I can do the job that men can do,” said Lt. Col. Oliverta Dulo, J5, AAF. “There have been challenges regarding promotions, but we have a 2022-2030 action plan for women where we address the issues of women supporting their role in the military, particularly leadership positions in Albania. The best analogy I can provide is that women are the mothers of the military: they positively impact the organization, and it can’t sustain without them.”
For the panel members, International Women’s Day served as an opportunity to highlight the achievements of women in military leadership. Maj. Gen. Lisa J. Hou, D.O., The Adjutant General of New Jersey commands more than 8,400 Soldiers and Airmen of the New Jersey Army and Air National Guard, while Maj. Gen. Manushaqe Shehu serves as the Deputy Chief of Defense for the Albanian Armed forces.
“My desire for this event is for it to be warm, comprehensive, and fruitful in giving and receiving the best mutual experiences concerning gender equality issues,” Shehu said.
Hou and Shehu’s ascension through the ranks serve as historic milestones for both State Partnership Program organizations.
“It’s essential to recognize the invaluable contributions of women in the military,” said Command Sgt. Maj. Daniela Talharim, the senior enlisted advisor for the 117th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, NJARNG. “From combat roles to leadership positions, women have played a crucial role in shaping military operations and culture, challenging stereotypes, and breaking barriers. In recent decades, there has been a significant shift in the role of women within armed forces worldwide.”
Tech. Sgt. Jennifer Rodriguez, equal opportunity specialist, NJNG reflected on the universality of experience shared by military women from both sides of the Atlantic.
“Educating is a good first step but also carving out time to have real conversations about the disparities that women are still facing in the military is important,” Rodriguez said. “I believe that what NJNG and AAF are collaboratively doing this week for Women’s International Day is a step towards the correct direction for addressing these issues of disparities and biases, Col. [Yvonne] Mays said something that resonated with me at the first panel: she stated that women’s issues are similar if not the same no matter where we come from and we have to lean on each other and speak up. I will go home with my experience empowered to continue forward on my walk as a woman in the military and my hope is that I may empower others as they walk their walk.”
Beyond their contributions on the battlefield, women in the military also play a crucial role in peacekeeping efforts and humanitarian missions worldwide. Their presence brings a unique perspective to conflict resolution and community engagement, fostering trust and cooperation in challenging environments.
“For more than 75 years women have served in the military, but it’s only within the last 12 years since we have dedicated our thought processes, resources, and programs toward women,” said Col. Yvonne L. Mays, Chief of Staff-Air, NJANG. “It should be applauded that we realized the importance and strength by including women because a nation that does not treat its citizens equally fails to thrive. Tt is our daughters, our nieces that come behind us that we will have made [the organization] better for them."
Despite these advancements, women in the military still face significant obstacles, including gender-based discrimination, harassment, and unequal opportunities for advancement. Addressing these issues requires ongoing commitment from military leaders and policymakers to create a more inclusive and equitable environment for all service members.
"Together, we wield greater strength, yet adversaries may seek to undermine,” Talharim added. “You have to do so much better than your counterparts to be considered equal, but we are not meant to be equal as women we are meant to be great.”
Women in the military demonstrate remarkable resilience, adaptability, and leadership under challenging conditions. The ability to thrive in demanding environments strengthens the overall resilience of military units.
“Each challenge that I thought I don’t know if I can do that I looked back and used my past failures as a way to build upon my successes” said Lt. Col Amy Glatz, state equal employment manager, NJNG. “We all have challenges it’s all how you handle them.”
Work-life balance in the military has its share of challenges. Many women face the struggle of taking care of home, their family, and their work priorities. However, this is made possible by experienced and understanding leaders.
“Even as leaders if we want to have service members that are committed to us we need to be committed to them,” said Col. Barbara Brown, director, J9 Joint Resiliency, NJNG. She explained that it is imperative that her Soldiers understand she stands firmly behind them, prioritizes their well-being, and ensures their family commitments are not overshadowed by military duties.
“A women is not born with a pan or an iron in her hands, we need to make our sons more accountable and educate our daughter to educate themselves and speak their minds for society to be better, however this education starts at home,” said Capt. Erisa Ferko, programming specialist, AAF.
In an attempt for the NJNG and AAF to improve peace and security for women, Mays explained that there are four lines of effort: supporting meaningful engagement, empowering women to seek help, adjusting and improving programs, and encouraging protection and advancing women’s perspective through the diversity of thought.
“The heart of being a good person is self-care and understanding that you are important and that you matter,” Mays explained, turning her attention to the representatives from both state partners. “Think about how you contribute to the situations and what that means to you. For the short period of time Albania has been a democracy you should be applauded, because you have come a long way.”
The Department of Defense's State Partnership Program is managed and administered by the National Guard Bureau. It is a U.S.-sponsored security cooperation program that supports the security cooperation objectives of the United States and the geographic combatant commands by developing enduring relationships with partner countries and carrying out activities to build partner capacity, improve interoperability, and enhance U.S. access and influence while increasing the readiness of U.S. and partner forces to meet emerging challenges. The State Partnership Program began in 1993 with 13 partners. Thirty years later, the program has grown to more than 100 partner nations and is an essential U.S. security cooperation tool that facilitates collaboration across all aspects of civil-military affairs.
| Date Taken: | 03.08.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 04.08.2024 12:02 |
| Story ID: | 467902 |
| Location: | TIRANA, AL |
| Web Views: | 23 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
This work, NJ Guard collaborates with Albania Armed Forces for International Women’s Day, by 1st Lt. Tyshawn Jenkins, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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