Question Period Note: WOMEN VETERANS

• Veterans Affairs Canada is committed to ensuring the vital role of women in the RCMP, Canadian Armed Forces and the Veteran community is recognized; that women are well supported throughout their careers including their transition to post-service life; and that they have equitable access to VAC's benefits, programs and services.
• October 10, 2025 marks one year since the Government’s response to the Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs report, Invisible No More. The Experiences of Canadian Women Veterans, released June 12,2024
• The report includes 42 recommendations to address the needs of Canadian military women and women Veterans regarding their physical and mental health, transition to post-service life, and financial security.
• VAC takes these findings seriously and we have been taking action. To date we have published new and revised Disability Benefit Entitlement Eligibility Guidelines, consulted with women Veterans to develop a Women Veterans Research Plan and launched the Women Veterans Council.
• A CAF-VAC joint working group – Women Wellbeing was formed to provide oversight for recommendations from the ACVA report and aims to meet three times annually.
• VAC is proud to be an implementation partner of Canada’s third National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security.
• Being an implementation partner strengthens VAC’s relationship with like-minded departments and agencies like the Department of National Defence (DND)/Canadian Armed Forces (CAF), and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), and it also provides VAC with the opportunity to influence the strategic direction of the third National Action Plan.

Women Veterans represent the fastest growing segment of Canada’s Veteran population, accounting for nearly 1 in 6 Veterans (2021 Census). They face unique challenges across all 7 domains of well-being, including reproductive and sexual health, barriers accessing services, and reluctance to identify as Veterans.
On June 12, 2024, ACVA released its report Invisible No More. The Experiences of Canadian Women Veterans. The report contains 42 recommendations to address the needs of Canadian military women and women Veterans, particularly in relation to physical and mental health, transition to post-service life and financial security. Women have distinct bodies, experiences and needs , yet military systems were historically designed for men. As a result, many women have experienced harm, injury and illness within a system not built for them and continue to feel invisible and unacknowledged.
The Government tabled its response on October 10, 2024. It agreed with 29 of the recommendations; agreed in principle with 9; took note of 3, and disagreed with 1 (on the advice of DND).
VAC has taken steps to address gaps in data and research. It has formally adopted the Sex and Gender Equity in Research (SAGER) guidelines and collaborated with McMaster University and It’s Not Just 20,000 (INJ20K) to better understand the impact of military sexual trauma. VAC also works with Statistics Canada to strengthen demographic data on women and other equity-deserving groups.
VAC engages women Veterans through national forums, roundtables, and consultations to improve its programs and services. Forums provide space to share lived experience directly with senior leadership. Roundtables, such as those on homelessness and women’s health have helped identified systemic barriers and inform policy, program, benefits and services development. Consultations with women Veterans led to the creation of the Women Veterans council.
VAC is also implementing the Government of Canada’s National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security (2023–2029), focusing on crisis response, sex and gender-based violence, leadership and capacity, and inclusion. It is developing progress indicators and working with the Women Peace and Security Network Canada (WPSN-C) to understand the grassroots efforts led by women Veterans. As more women are deployed abroad, inclusive, equitable policies and services will be critical to support their post-service needs.

QUICK FACTS & FIGURES

Women Veterans in Canada

• Nearly 1 in 6 Veterans are women (2021 Census) — the fastest-growing Veteran population.
• Women are under-represented in leadership/combat roles and typically earn less due to shorter service.
• More likely to be medically released, face chronic/training-related injuries, and experience mental health issues, including suicidal ideation.
• Post-service, they report lower social support and are ~2% more likely than men to experience episodic homelessness.
• Income decline is common, especially among single parents, caregivers, or those medically released.
• Many hesitate to self-identify as Veterans.
• Most programs were designed for men; inclusive, tailored supports are needed.

Engagement
• VAC engages women Veterans through national forums, roundtables, and consultations to better understand their experiences and inform service delivery.
• These efforts led to the creation of the Women Veterans Council, established in December 2024.
• The Council is composed of 12 diverse members and provides direct advice to the Minister on issues impacting women Veterans.
National Action Plans on Women, Peace and Security (WPS)

• The UN Security Council adopted Resolution 1325 on WPS in 2000, followed by additional resolutions expanding the agenda.
• Canada has launched three National Action Plans on WPS:
o 2010 (first plan)
o 2017 (second plan)
o 2023–2029 (third plan, with one bridging year).

Current Commitments
• CAF: Target of 25% women in the CAF by FY 2026 (1% annual increase).
• RCMP: Ensure 20% of International Police Peacekeeping and Peace Operations (IPP) deployments are women, including in leadership roles.
• Growing deployments of women abroad make it critical VAC services meet their post-service needs.