IT IS International Women’s Day today (March 8) and The Royal Star an Garter saluted the women who often made sacrifices for loved ones.
International Women’s Day celebrates social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women, and marks a call to action for accelerating women’s equality.
This year the charity, which cares for veterans and their loved ones living with dementia or disability, is paying homage to the wives have lived ‘international’ lives and made their own sacrifices while their husbands served.
Among them is Solihull Royal Star and Garter resident Ann who was married to Paul, who served in the Navy for over 30 years.
During that time, she lived with her husband overseas, and each of her three daughters was born in different countries – Malta, England and New Zealand.
The couple had met in their late teens through Ann’s brother, who knew Paul in the Navy.
They were based in America between 1969 and 1972, when Paul was attached to the British Embassy in Washington DC. The couple lived in nearby Arlington.
During summer holidays, Ann would help organise road trips with their children, embracing their adopted country and educating the children as they travelled.
The Royal Star and Garter said: “The women were married to servicemen living overseas, and made great sacrifices to be with their husbands when they were posted abroad, raising young children away from their own families, and having to make friends and build new family homes each time their partners were deployed to another corner of the world.
“Sacrifices such as these, as well as putting their own careers on hold in order to support their spouse’s service, are common among the partners of Armed Forces personnel.
“These remarkable women have, in very different ways, helped support the Armed Forces.”
