The first women veterans' forum was held in 2019. I was there. It was a wonderful experience and full of energy. It was the first of its kind in Canada to discuss the specific challenges women face in their lives after service.
From my perspective, I was listening for the research opportunities and the research gaps that were raised. There were many. In fact, I was stunned at how prominently research as a theme was raised by all the stakeholders there. Some of the research opportunities raised there included infertility; menopause; mental health; social issues; homelessness; transition from military to civilian life, including the financial impacts, some of which we have already touched on; intersectionality and cultural differences among under-represented veterans, in particular indigenous, francophone and LGBTQ2+ perspectives; and a number of other categories.
That feedback was all taken back to the department and carefully reviewed. We looked for opportunities to embark on research, where feasible, in those areas.