FORT SILL, Okla.-- It is a leader's responsibility to create and maintain an environment of diversity and inclusion where everyone strives to maximize their performance and potential for the good of the organization.
That was the message of retired Brig. Gen. Belinda Pinckney, the speaker at the Fort Sill Women's History Month luncheon.
Hundreds of women and men filled the Patriot Club March 16 to hear Pinckney, who was the former director of the Army Diversity Task Force. The annual 90-minute commemorative was co-sponsored by Reynolds Army Community Hospital and the Installation Equal Employment Office, and hosted by the Fires Center of Excellence and Fort Sill commanding general.
This year's theme is "Women's Education-Women's Empowerment," said Sgt. 1st Class Tawana Young, mistress of ceremonies.
"This theme pays tribute to the millions of women who have taken action to help create a better world in the times in which they lived," said Young, RACH Department of Behavioral Health noncommissioned officer in charge.
In her introduction of Pinckney, Col. Jennifer Bedick, RACH commander, noted that one of Pinckney's last jobs was the Army Family, Morale, Welfare and Recreation Command's commander.
Today's Soldiers and families are enjoying many of the MWR programs that Pinckney put into place, Bedick said.
Pinckney, citing United Nations statistics, said that in underprivileged countries women are much more likely than men to be poor, illiterate and have less access to medical care, property ownership, credit, training and employment.
Gender equality implies a society where women and men enjoy the same opportunities, outcomes, rights and obligations in all spheres of life, said Pinckney, whose Army career began as a private in 1976.
"Equality between men and women exists when both sexes are able to share equally in the distribution of power and influence," Pinckney said.
Pinckney spoke about the struggles and achievements of prominent women in U.S. history such as Gen. Ann Dunwoody, the first woman four-star in the military; Dorothy Height, social activist; Frances Hesselbein, former CEO of the Girl Scouts, who was instrumental in improving its minority membership; and Eleanor Roosevelt, former first lady.
All these women had similar traits, said Pinckney.
"They never viewed themselves as women with limitations," she said. "They saw themselves as citizens contributing to a society that needed their support."
They had the personal courage to educate others to the many roles women could play, and they demonstrated themselves as role models daily, she said.
They were persistent, passionate and persevered over time because they knew those traits would lead to possibilities, Pinckney said. "The possibility of empowerment."
"Those women knew the power of collaboration, consensus building and establishing relations with no boundaries," she said.
Today, education and empowerment are still important because there is still work to do, Pinckney said.
Kirby Brown, FCoE deputy to the commanding general, thanked Pinckney and presented her with a plaque.
He said the diverse and large audience in attendance was typical of EO luncheons, which is a commander's-based program here.
But more than that it is commanders who enable and lead Fires Soldiers and civilians throughout the world in a values-based organization that does not just check off quota blocks, Brown said.
Spc. Tiffany English, RACH biomedical equipment technician, was one of the hundreds of Soldiers who attended the luncheon.
"I liked her (Pinckney's) presentation," said English. "I thought it was very thorough, and it did help walk people through the advancements that women have made."
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