Women Veterans

IAVA'S BIG 6

IAVA’s members have identified 6 priority issues that matter most to them.


Women Veterans

IAVA is fighting to fully recognize and to improve services for women veterans.

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How can I help?

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I am a woman veteran

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Up to Speed: Women Veterans

WHY IS IAVA FOCUSED ON WOMEN VETERANS?

Over 345,000 women have deployed since 9/11. While the number of male veterans is expected to decline in the next decades, the population of women veterans will increase. Women continue to take on new roles and responsibilities throughout the services. Yet, their service and sacrifice is often overlooked. 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. While many other organizations waited or chose other issues, we made the bold choice to lead on an issue that was important to not just the 20% of our members that are women, but to our entire membership, the future of healthcare and America’s national security.

Women Veterans

HOW ARE WOMEN VETERANS IMPACTED?

HOW WIDESPREAD IS THE PROBLEM?

This is appalling, how can I help?

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We can’t do this alone, we need your support to ensure the VA provides service to veterans who gave everything for this country.

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Learn about our supported legislation to ensure veterans are cared for and take action.

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How is IAVA fighting?

IAVA is working hard with leaders to ensure that the women who fought for our country receive the care they need and earned at the VA; learn about our current leg below and take action.

The Honoring Our Veterans Act

Women often encounter a culture that does not accept them or fully recognize them as veterans. This glaring problem is best exemplified in the outdated motto that greets every person, male and female, who walks into the VA: “To care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow, and his orphan.” The Honoring Our Veterans Act (H.R. 2806/S.1313) would change the motto to read: “To fulfill President Lincoln’s promise to care for those ‘who shall have borne the battle’ and for their families, caregivers, and survivors.”

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We can’t do this alone, we need your support to ensure the VA provides service to veterans who gave everything for this country.

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Are you a woman veteran?

98%

Women veterans are 1.8 times more likely than civilian women to commit suicide. Among women who do not use VA services, we have seen a 98 percent increase in suicide rates.

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Need Help Navigating VA? IAVA’s veteran care partners are here to help.

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MORE ABOUT RECOGNIZING AND IMPROVING SERVICES FOR WOMEN VETERANS

While the past few years have 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 do. Women still report being stigmatized or feeling unwelcome at VA, and the Departmental motto itself is gender-exclusive. As a nation we must recognize GI Jane as much as GI Joe; it’s past time that the military culture and our nation embrace this, and recognize, celebrate, and support the service of all veterans that serve this nation.

We need to take the American people to a place where women vets are envisioned just as readily as men. Congress must act to not only bring equality to VA health care for women, but also resource-sensible services like childcare. “Access to Quality Care for Our Veterans” should be gender blind, which in the case of supporting single parents, can impact men just as much as women.

Beth Riesgraf, star of Paramount Network’s hit series 68 Whiskey, partnered with IAVA to shine a light on the unique issues women face during active duty service and when they transition back to civilian life. The goal of the film is to build meaningful support for The Deborah Sampson Act. Watch her film HERE.

IAVA's Policy Priorities

Select a topic from the list below to learn about IAVA’s advocacy priorities.

SUPPORT VETERANS TODAY

Our country has an obligation to fulfill its promise to honor and support vets. Make a donation today to help IAVA fulfill its mission to connect, unite, and empower post-9/11 veterans.

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