9
Women Veterans
Your unique issues
Quick Tips
- The contributions of women veterans are increasingly being recognized. Women veterans have advocated for their needs, and progress has been made in providing veterans’ services that are aligned to women. Yet, much remains to be done.
- Women veterans are the fastest growing group of veterans in our country. In 2017, 20% of new recruits were women.
- Women veterans face unique challenges. They are more likely to be single parents, have experienced sexual trauma, use health care systems that are not be geared up to meet their needs, and sometimes don’t feel welcomed in traditional veterans’ support organizations.
- Tragically, women veterans have higher suicide and homelessness rates than male veterans.
- There is reason to hope. There have been recent improvements in supports and services for women veterans. Things are getting better.
- Women veterans’ rate of disability is similar to that of male veterans. But women veterans have different types of disabilities and have higher levels of PTSI and mental illness. As supports and services are better adapted to the needs of women veterans, these disability statistics might change.
- Women veterans have a higher rate of unemployment than others. Also, they have a lower median annual income than male veterans, but a higher median annual income than women nonveterans.
- Pay attention to your own needs. Request specialists for women veterans when navigating veterans’ services and benefits.
- Other women veterans are a great source of support, resources, and comfort. Several organizations are now devoted to women veterans across different areas of life: education, employment, and community living.
- Don’t wait to get help. Find crisis and support hotlines below on this page, or check the Deeper Dive for this tool.
- Become an advocate for women veteran. The best way to help yourself might be to help others. To explore some advocacy organizations for women veterans, see the Deeper Dive in this tool.