Foster Cultural Change to Recognize Service of Women

Over the past few years, there’s been a groundswell of support for women veterans’ issues. From health care access to reproductive health services to a seismic culture change within the veteran community, women veterans have rightly been focused on and elevated on Capitol Hill, inside the VA, and nationally. In 2017, IAVA launched our groundbreaking campaign, #SheWhoBorneTheBattle, focused on recognizing the service of women veterans and closing gaps in care provided to them by the VA. Ahead of the times, we made the bold choice to lead on an issue that was important to not just the 13% of our members that are women, but to our entire membership, the future of healthcare, and America’s national security. We fought hard for top-down culture change in the VA for the more than 345,000 women who have fought in our current wars–and for all Americans.

In 2020, the cornerstone of IAVA’s #SheWhoBorneTheBattle campaign, the IAVA-led Deborah Sampson Act, was passed into law after a nearly four-year campaign. This groundbreaking legislation includes several important provisions that will address sexual harassment and assault in VA facilities, establish an Office of Women’s Health directly under the Undersecretary of VA for Health, and improve access to care and benefits for survivors of Military Sexual Trauma (MST).

Women are currently the fastest-growing population in both the military and veteran communities, and their numbers have been growing steadily since the 1970s. And while more women are joining the military and are finally being given unprecedented roles in combat and greater responsibilities in leadership, veteran services and benefits often fall behind.

While the past few years has been encouraging in the display of growing interest in ensuring health care accessibility for women veterans at VA, increasing support for women veterans, and expanding services, there is still much work to be done.

Women are the fastest-growing population within the veteran community, but the American public still does not understand the extent of their contributions. This lack of understanding not only impacts their reception when seeking health care from the VA, but throughout their transition home.

Women veterans are becoming more prominent in American culture, and are stepping up and leading: from the growing number of women veterans serving in Congress to the highest leadership positions among the service branches, Veteran Service Organizations, and leading groups. And as more women veterans step into the public sphere, their contributions and sacrifices are becoming known and recognized.

However, everyday women veterans enter into VAs nationwide and are not recognized for their service. Every day, women veterans are looked past in favor of the well-known image of a man serving in uniform. Until women veterans are as known and understood as their male counterparts, IAVA’s work will not be done.

• Change the VA Motto to be more inclusive of all who have served
• Encourage VA to continue to expand their anti-harassment campaigns including proactive outreach to women veterans on anti-harassment programs
• Encourage VA to continue cultural competency courses for both VA staff and community care providers
• Ensure external communications from VA and DoD are inclusive and show the diverse nature of veterans and service members
• Highlight stories of women veterans
• Conduct public awareness campaigns about the impact of women veterans serving the U.S.