I'm sorry, Mr. Chair.
In my role as the veterans ombud, I can only observe and offer recommendations to the minister. The gap that exists, or the impact on women as opposed to men or other equity-seeking groups with service in the Canadian Forces, is real, and we see it. We see the impacts of that. What my office has been calling for is more research into the “why”. We don't know why. Without the why, we can't address the root causes.
It's a joint effort between the Canadian Forces and Veterans Affairs Canada, I believe. I've been calling for research, and I believe that is the key piece that is necessary to do now, so that we understand why these things are happening. Then things can be put in place to correct those, so that when you serve, you don't necessarily come out at the other end with illness or injuries simply because the equipment doesn't fit you or for various other reasons.