After attending an event organised by WIIS and WIWIP and listening to the insightful thoughts of Dr Andrea Ellner, Oksana Potapova, and Tetyana Nikitina on the gendered impacts of Russia's war in Ukraine, I was struck by how women veterans are still significantly underrepresented in the military system and how their needs are often overlooked.
Women made up 11.8% of the intake into the Armed Forces between March 2020 to March 2021. This in part is due to the exclusion of women from close-combat roles in the UK until 2018 over concerns that women could adversely ‘affect unit cohesion’.
However, while there has been a growing body of social science research that disproves this theory, progress on the inclusion and support for women in the armed forces is still slow. Particularly when it comes to women veterans and their transition from the military to civilian life. Reintegration for veterans is crucial and warrants revolutionary changes to effectively address the needs and experiences of women.
The transition to civilian life can be daunting. As the veteran system is still predominantly male-focused, the challenges that women face are often not taken into consideration. According to the 2021 Census, a significant number of women reported negative experiences since leaving the military. From physical and mental health issues to relationship problems, debt, unemployment, housing, and pension benefits. Notably the census shows that women veterans from the UK are more likely to be unemployed, economically inactive, or excluded from economic benefits compared to men.
Statistics from the charity Combat Stress reveal that 1 in 9 women veterans suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and that they are twice as likely than men to develop the disorder. PTSD symptoms can include flashbacks and intrusive memories that can trigger individual re-experience episodes of the war, including hyperarousal and emotional numbing as well as, depression, estrangement, substance abuse, and suicide.
Evidence also shows that women veterans are disproportionately more exposed to military sexual trauma (MST) during services, such as sexual violence, emotional bullying, and physical assault. Consequently, they are exposed to mental health difficulties. A 2021 study, co-authored by King’s College London Centre for Military Health Research, surveyed 750 women veterans in the UK and found that 22.5% of women in the military report being sexually harassed, and 22.7% of female veterans experienced emotional bullying while in the military.
The stigma around mental health support for veterans is what often prevents both women and men from seeking help, suggests research published online in the journal BMJ Military Health. Through the lack of specialised services, women can be led to believe that their experiences are not valid, or they will overcome them.
Their lives, needs, and struggles may go unnoticed by the system, and their valuable contributions and experiences might be overlooked or forgotten. Lack of support and limited access to specialised services can hinder women's reintegration into society and impact their chances of securing employment.
What is needed is a gender-sensitive system that can best address specific needs and facilitate military-to-civilian transition, whilst considering women’s specific experiences and challenges.
The Office for Veterans Affairs announced plans in 2023 to develop a New Women Veterans’ Strategy, that will address the specific needs that women veterans face in their transition to civilian life. This includes mental, physical and employment support. The proposal is expected to be published this year.
WIWIP hosts events, socials, and workshops, and provides opportunities to network and meet like-minded people. There are different ways to get involved, by joining the committee, contributing to the blog, or attending events and workshops.
Students are invited to submit their articles, interviews, or film/book reviews before 1 March for the upcoming publications. For more info, please reach out at wiwip kcl@kcl.ac.uk and nandana.thipperudraiah@kcl.ac.uk