MOTTA DI LIVENZA -- About 20 female U.S. Soldiers and civilians representing the Female 2 Female program in Vicenza visited Motta di Livenza, Treviso, Nov. 23 to participate in a professional exchange with members of the Civil-Military Cooperation (CIMIC), a multinationational organization of NATO.
Creating continuous training between the two organizations was the intention of the exchange, and the theme of the day focused on women in the military, as 2015 is the 15th anniversary of females in the Italian army.
The day opened with a welcome from the NATO base commander and a reception/icebreaker where participants ate lunch and introduced themselves to one another. The group then proceeded to a conference room where a roundtable discussion took place.
The 40 women centered discussion around gender perspective in the military. Encouraged to "speak freely" about any issues, the women discussed their backgrounds and spoke candidly about male-female perspectives, differences between the U.S. and Italian armies, child care, sharing duties with a spouse, divorce, physical requirements, equal opportunity programs and more. After the roundtable, presentations were made and the group went outside to take photos before departure.
According to Chelle Demarais, one of the event organizers and facilitators from U.S. Army Garrison Italy, the day was a tremendous success.
"This type of event is a fantastic way for women to share ideas and talk about what's important to them in a non-intimidating environment," Demarais said. "Female 2 Female events are a great way to network and expand your horizons."
Vicenza's Female 2 Female program was established three years ago to provide a venue for single, female, newcomer Soldiers in the community to meet new friends and mentors, and has grown tremendously since its inception.
"We want to bridge the gap between our brand new Soldiers and more experienced community leaders that will foster positive mentoring relationships to enhance career development and resiliency," Demarais said. "The initiative has addressed a need for support and sponsorship to the population, and we are proud of that fact."
Anyone interested in learning more about Female 2 Female is invited to participate in upcoming events, the earliest one being the "Home for the Holidays" complementary dinner, taking place Dec. 11 at the Golden Lion. The dinner is a cultural exchange of American and Italian holiday celebrations. The primary F2F audience is invited (newcomer junior, female, single Soldiers in the Vicenza community and female Italian Soldiers), but male Soldiers and Department of the Army civilians are also invited. RSVP to the dinner no later than today by emailing rsvpf2f@gmail.com. Another event, "Finding the Balance," offers a complete resiliency package, providing yoga, meditation and relaxation information, Dec. 17, 5:30-7 p.m., at the ACS building on Caserma Ederle.
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