DWAO aims to #AccelerateAction this International Women’s Day
April 3, 2025 - Capt Ryan Bartlette, Public Affairs Officer, 3rd Canadian Division Support Base Edmonton
On March 7, the Edmonton Defense Women’s Advisory Organization (DWAO) invited all defence team members to mark International Women’s Day and join them in the Lamplighter Lounge to visit information booths, hear from keynote speakers and listen to music created by female composers courtesy of the Royal Canadian Artillery (RCA) Band.
Personnel Support Programs had a booth highlighting their various programs, including their PNP3 prenatal program and their new ‘Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) Women in Sport’ program.
Caption
Major Samantha Millican (right) speaks to the audience as part of a Q&A panel during the International Women's Day event at the Lamplighter Lounge at 3 CDSB Edmonton on March 7. Maj Millican was joined on stage by Lieutenant‑Colonel Natalie De Roij (left), Captain Stephanie Clubine and Sergeant Rebecca Hickey (not pictured).
Photos by MCpl Rob Mitchell, 3rd Canadian Division Public Affairs Image Technician
Caption
Colonel Robbin Dove, Commander 3rd Canadian Division Support Base (3 CDSB) Edmonton, speaks with members of the Edmonton Military Family Resource Centre during the International Women's Day event at the Lamplighter Lounge at 3 CDSB Edmonton on March 7.
La Leche League Canada had a booth with information for breastfeeding parents. Captain Stephanie Clubine, who developed 3rd Canadian Division’s Lactation Support policy, noted every building that has more than 400 persons should have a labelled lactation room.
“Some units have not labelled their rooms because they feel there is a stigma, but lactating persons need to know that space is available to them,” she said.
The Military Wives Choir welcomes members, spouses or anyone in the military community to join them as they make community connections through a shared love of music. Highlights of their year including singing at the Spring Concert and the RCA Band Holiday Concert.
The Military Family Resource Centre highlighted their support to families, including moms’ support groups and a mental health team that offers counseling with no wait lists to spouses, children over six and significant others of military members.
The Defense Team Pride Advisory Organization exists to promote an inclusive and safe environment for all to serve. In addition to serving the 2SLGBTQI+ community, they advise the Base Commander on making policies that support the diversity of all our members.
Lieutenant Karen Shields introduced various scores composed by women, while noting facts such as currently only 61 of 4,632 compositions in the largest music database are composed by women.
Major Venus Thompson gave a lecture on Gender Based Violence and how it affects everybody. One in three women around the world will experience intimate partner violence, while globally a woman is killed every 10 minutes.
After, a panel discussion occurred on various topics affecting women in the CAF. It included Capt Clubine (Lord Strathcona’s Horse (Royal Canadians)), Lieutenant-Colonel Natalie De Roij (3rd Canadian Division Reserve Component Co‑ordinator), Sergeant Rebecca Hickey (Canadian Forces Recruiting Centre Edmonton) and Maj Samantha Millican (1 Combat Engineer Regiment).
The panel discussed the importance of mentoring and supporting inclusion within your own workspaces. Sgt Hickey noted injustices based on gender lead to soldiers leaving the forces, while LCol De Roij spoke on her experiences in Thailand exploring Gender Inclusiveness in the Armed Forces with 16 other partner nations. Maj Millican noted 60 per cent of the married women in the CAF are part of service couples, and more supports are needed. Women are far more likely to retire early than their male counterparts, and service couples should not be asked to choose which soldier will be supported, according to Millican.
Chief Warrant Officer Alicia Marshall (1 Field Ambulance) is the Co-chair of the DWAO and was encouraged by what she saw that day.
“We need more panels, just like this, for members to be able to ask those tough questions on how we can improve life in the CAF on a day-to-day basis,” she said.
Now that International Women’s Day has passed, the work continues for the DWAO. On the agenda is supporting changes to National Policies such as improving early access to OBGYNs, as well as enhancing sick leave for our pregnant members.