ALCOAST 096/12 announces March 2012 as the 25th anniversary of Women's History Month. The U.S. Coast Guard Office of Diversity (CG-12B) provides information on its gender policy. The USCG Historian's Office provides information on the history of women in the Coast Guard and its predecessor services at its Women and the U.S. Coast Guard web page.

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UNCLAS //N01650//
ALCOAST 096/12
COMDTNOTE 1650

SUBJ: 2012 NATIONAL WOMENS HISTORY MONTH

1. This year marks the 25th anniversary of the designation of March as women’s history month. This year’s theme is "women’s education - women’s empowerment".

2. Title IX of the education amendments of 1972 prohibited gender discrimination by federally funded institutions, enabling full participation by women in all aspects of education. Today, women comprise the majority of student enrollment in U.S. colleges and universities.

3. The Coast Guard has long been a leader in empowering women and expanding women’s educational opportunities. In 1976, the Coast Guard Academy became the first federal service academy to enroll women. Since then, over 1100 women have graduated. In 1998, the Coast Guard selected the first woman to command a training center, and the first to lead the chief petty officer academy. In 2011, a woman was assigned as the superintendent of the Coast Guard Academy - the first woman to lead a federal service academy. Women comprise 55 percent of Coast Guard college student pre-commissioning initiative (CSPI), and 34 percent of the academy class of 2016 - the highest rate ever for an incoming class.

4. The Coast Guard has benefited from its investment in the education and empowerment of women. Over the past 40 years, increased opportunities have provided deeper talent pools from which we draw succeeding generations of maritime professionals. Today, I am proud to count women among the Coast Guard’s most successful leaders, outstanding role models for all Coast Guard employees, women and men, uniformed and civilian.

5. Learn more about the many accomplishments women have made and continue to make to the Coast Guard at: http://www.uscg.mil/history/uscghist/womenchronology.asp.

6. ADM BOB PAPP, COMMANDANT, SENDS.
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