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In March 2024, U.S. Army Capt. Clarissa Noyola, Army Forces Battalion Civil Affairs officer, seized an opportunity to bring the women service members and civilian personnel from both the Honduran military and the American military together.
EmpowerHER’s is a community sponsored initiative whose mission is to cultivate a community of empowered women, that fosters strength, support and unity. Through mutual encouragement and shared wisdom, this unique program looks to inspire each member to embrace their individual sovereignty, leading to personal growth and a collective impact within their communities.
The EmpowerHER program offers training, field sanitation, exercise classes, self defense classes and is looking to expand what they offer participants.
“It started out as an idea trying to do a [Female Engagement Team], to go out there and talk to women and get in places that people couldn't get into,” said Nayola. “And as the more we started talking about it, the more females were like, ‘yeah, I feel very alone. I feel like I don't have anybody.’ It’s interesting meeting new females saying ‘I have nobody to talk to.’ And I’m like ‘Don’t worry, come hang out with us.’”
According to the Department of Defense, the active-duty force is made up of 17.3 percent women and 21.4 percent of the National Guard and reserves. In such a male dominated field, it’s important that everyone is supported and heard equally. EmpowerHER does just that.
“We have the Honduran [service members] and we have our [service members] and we wanted to bring all the women together where they could have a safe space,” said Nayola. “They can talk and meet a battle buddy and also share cultural exchanges and do classes where we're teaching them and they're teaching us different things.”
The EmpowerHER program is based on four core pillars: leadership, equality, allies, and force multiplier. Leadership encourages individuals to provide and promote opportunities for women in all spaces. Equality, to promote equality for all women, civilian and military. Allies, to develop allies in all spaces where women exist. Force Multiplier, to be a targeted capability that is prepared at all times to support the mission.
Despite starting as a female focused initiative, EmpowerHER is not just for women. Men are welcome to join and provide support.
“Men are 100 percent invited to this,” said Nayola. “We've had men join before and I call them our allies. We need them just as much as we need each other. We need the support from them to continue doing things like this.”
EmpowerHER is built on community and strengthening that community from within. While everyone can be strong, communities that support one another are stronger.
For more information about EmpowerHER and how to be a part of it, reach out to Capt. Clarissa Noyola at clarissa.noyola.mil@army.mil
| Date Taken: | 12.05.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 12.20.2024 09:12 |
| Story ID: | 486767 |
| Location: | SOTO CANO AIR BASE, HN |
| Web Views: | 9 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, International unity through empowerment, by SSgt Tristan Biese, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
