Improve Employment Housing and Child Care Benefits

IAVA's Policy Agenda for the 117th Congress

Current Policy Priorities

IAVA has recommended specific policy priorities to address the issues that matter most to post-9/11 veterans.

LEARN MORE

Galvanize Support for Women Veterans

GET UP TO SPEED ON IAVA’S CAMPAIGN TO SUPPORT WOMEN VETERANS

Learn More

WHAT IS IAVA’S PLAN?

Learn More

Galvanize Support for #SheWhoBorneTheBattle

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.

IAVA's Approach

Improve Employment, Housing, and Child Care Benefits and Services

GET UP TO SPEED ON IMPROVING EMPLOYMENT, HOUSING, AND CHILD CARE BENEFITS

LEARN MORE

WHAT IS IAVA’S PLAN?

LEARN MORE

Improve Employment, Housing, and Child Care Benefits and Services

Women veterans are also more likely than their male peers to face economic and personal challenges. They have higher rates of unemployment, are more likely to be homeless, and are more likely to be single parents. These issues have only increased since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. When you ask these women whether their challenges are unique, their answer is generally no, but support is harder to access. It’s critical that we focus our resources on policies that are inclusive of women and all minorities. That will require not only a policy change but more importantly, a complete shift in culture.

IAVA's Recommendations

  • Investigate effective models of case management and care coordination to ensure that women veterans at risk of homelessness and unemployment are provided with adequate benefits and services to prevent adverse outcomes
  • Expand child care services at all VA facilities and in local communities to ensure that a lack of child care does not prevent veterans from seeking care or finding meaningful employmen
  • Grant permanent discretionary authority to the VA to provide assistance to veterans to obtain child care in order to reduce barriers to seeking care
  • Expand VA housing and assistance programs for homeless and displaced women veterans and their families
  • Authorize VA to reimburse care for dependents of veterans seeking comprehensive homelessness services
  • Encourage Department of Labor (DOL) VETS’ Women Veterans Program to continue their work and monitor their VETS program to ensure equality and advertise and connect with women veterans
  • Fund nonprofit programs for women veterans at the national and local levels
  • Ensure that pandemic relief is focused and able to address the unique challenges of women veterans

IAVA's Policy Priorities

Select a topic from the list below to learn about IAVA’s policy recommendations for the 117th Congress.