How can the VA and DoD increase support for female service members and veterans?

2014-09-26T16:16:34-04:00

As the number of women and their influence in the military continues to grow, so should the armed forces’ attention and care for them. The Veterans Affairs (VA) and Department of Defense (DoD) certainly need improvement in supporting all our service members and veterans, but especially for women. A recent Disabled American Veterans (DAV) report (http://www.dav.org/women-veterans-study/) shows service gaps for women in health care, transition services, disability compensation, employment and housing.

Right now, one in four VA hospitals do not have a full-time gynecologist on staff, and 140 of the 920 community-based clinics serving veterans in rural areas do not have a designated women's health provider. The DAV report also found female veterans of child-bearing age were far more likely to be given medications that can cause birth defects than were women being treated through a private doctor. All VA centers should at least have a part-time specialist available to treat female-specific needs.

Addressing unemployment and homelessness is another area the VA needs to create more gender-specific services. Post-9/11 female veterans have higher unemployment rates than male veterans and non-veteran women. Female veterans are at least twice as likely to be homeless as non-veteran women. Establishing transition support catered to each gender would help all veterans face the difficult process. It may be nearly impossible for all regions across the country to create female veteran support groups, but virtual live chat rooms is an option that may be worth exploring.

The DoD needs to also embrace gender-specific support, so women are properly supported before they transition. Many female service members want to get married, start families and be a part of every little thing in their kids’ lives. Committing to the armed forces makes starting a family and establishing a work and life balance very difficult. The military certainly sees the value in having and increasing the number of female service members with more being done to support this front. The Navy has recently started its family friendly policy of giving women a year off whenever they want, without any penalty or change in status. Women can use this time during pregnancy and after. Other military branches have yet to follow this policy, but it’s a step in the right direction.

The fact of the matter is women have different needs than men. They are impacted by military service and deployment differently from men. More gender-specific care needs to be provided across the VA and DoD. This would not only benefit female service members and veterans, but male service members and veterans as well. What areas in the VA and DoD need gender-specific improvement? Does the fact that the military is still predominantly male make it more difficult for the armed forces to cater to women in uniform? How can the VA and DoD establish more balanced services and policies?

Women Veterans Study - DAV

The research reveals that America’s nearly 300,000 women veterans are put at risk by a system designed for and dominated by male veterans. This report paints a compelling picture of federal agencies and community service providers that consistently fail to understand that women are impacted by military service and deployment differently than men. And it points to changes that are needed in the overall culture and services provided by the...

Response by SGT Jay Ehrenfeld made Sep 26 at 2014 5:24 PM

2014-09-26T17:24:40-04:00

they shouldn't give special treatment or more services then required by law and their disability

Response by SFC(P) Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 26 at 2014 7:47 PM

2014-09-26T19:47:12-04:00

Sorry but the army is failing ALL soldiers regardless of sex. How about we identify the issues on an individual basis and forget gender. This is like saying that deployments affect black soldiers different than white or Christians different than Buddhists. Asinine thinking. Yet another attempt to show a division where none exists.

Response by CW4 Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 26 at 2014 8:31 PM

2014-09-26T20:31:38-04:00

Interesting article. I have yet to see any female military members not receive treatment in my area. If the VA is lacking in specialty physicians, then the military is not failing the service member, the outside agencies are. I think the article is perhaps making more of the situation than reality...then again, my area seems to be an exception if I take the article at face value.

I think the article should have focused on the lack of care for all, and highlight the special needs where missing. A knee injury can be staffed to any primary care, but specialty care is where the problem is...so make that the focus. How do we get quality special care physicians? What hiring practices are out there other then USAJOBS.GOV advertising vacancies? If the VA or DoD need specialty care physicians, then reach out and say so...hire the skills we need so all our brothers and sisters get the care they deserve.

Response by SFC Joe Thyne made Sep 27 at 2014 12:45 AM

2014-09-27T00:45:08-04:00

Women have encountered the same hardships and same sacrifices of men. The uniform doesn't distinguish men from women. It is time that women receive all the same benefits as men. We might be a little behind, but it's time to get caught up. There should be no exceptable excuse.

Response by SPC Mae Richardson made Sep 27 at 2014 10:48 AM

2014-09-27T10:48:11-04:00

I don't think the issue is with the DoD. I think the issue is with the VA. Active duty can get a referral for services that the DoD doesn't have. If the VA doesn't have a service they don't give refferals, at least mine doesn't. For some veterans the VA is the only healthcare that many can afford. My husband has healthcare but we can not afford to add me or our daughter to it. For our daughter it's easy she can recieve CHIPs. For me I am stuck with the VA because we make too much for medicaid but not enough to afford a seperate insurance policy for me. I have to wait for 2 months or more to get in to see a gynocologist, my VA just recently got a mamogram machine, and if I get pregnant again we will probably have to pay the medical bills out of pocket. The easiest option to close the gaps in care would be for the VA to partner with local providers to provide women's services that the VA does not have.

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 27 at 2014 9:55 PM

2014-09-27T21:55:23-04:00

There shortage or women's health providers in tricare as well...

Response by COL Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 12 at 2018 11:29 PM

2018-03-12T23:29:31-04:00

How about just treat them with respect? Maybe even with more respect than they treat the other vets- that would be something.

Response by MAJ Camella Andrews made Mar 31 at 2018 11:44 AM

2018-03-31T11:44:47-04:00

The DoD and the VA needs to change their questioner for determining PTSD. They ask everyone the same questions. Do you drink, how much and how often? Most women do not drown their issues in the bottle, they use retail therapy, gambling and in some cases inappropriate sexual behavior. After leaving the military three years ago I have spent my time working with homeless women veterans and those items I listed above have been the main cause of dealing with their PTSD and MST. Yet these questions are not being asked by the VA or the DoD. The homeless women veterans are not always alone they usually have their children with them. The VA does not provide facilities for women and children and their is also a disparity in the amount of units available for women.
If they want to make changes that will positively affect women veterans then they need to speak to women veterans and those in the community that is working with the homeless women veterans population.

Response by SSgt Boyd Herrst made Dec 19 at 2018 9:29 AM

2018-12-19T09:29:46-05:00

I think that most if not all women Vets are or think themselves more “RESILIENT” than none Veteran women. They don’t see themselves as being. “FRAGILE”.
They may have been slightly and wanted to shake that off and wanted to prove themselves and joined the Military to do just that and show others to “Not f**k
With them or they’ll rip who stands in their way a new vent..

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 20 at 2018 6:17 AM

2018-12-20T06:17:16-05:00

I am amazed that they don't. If you must go to an outside medical specialist, I was under the impression that those bills would be paid.
However, I believe that women's needs re: transition services, disability compensation, employment, and housing would be the same as any other service member. Everything doesn't need to to be gender specific. Some needs (e.g. transition ...) are generic for military personnel irrespective of their gender identity. We are all volunteers and it has had a profound effect on all of us. I do not believe that women are 'weaker' and therefore need more non-medical services than men.