Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Good evening, honourable members. Thank you for inviting me here today to discuss the experiences of female and women veterans. As the first woman CAF veteran appointed to the Senate, I appear before you as a fellow parliamentarian and as a veteran myself, having fully retired in January 2023.
I enrolled in the Canadian Armed Forces in January 1989. This was the same month that women started integration into all occupations, except those on submarines. I've personally experienced great advances for women since 1989. For example, I'm the first person with a military nursing background to lead at the rank of flag officer—rear-admiral—which was previously unheard of when I joined.
What has been slower to adapt is who we recognize as female and women veterans and the support we provide to them. Veterans are traditionally portrayed as white older men who are war fighters, resulting in women being less likely to identify and then be recognized as veterans who need service. This results in veteran services that are not tailored to sex and gender-specific issues.
Prior to my appointment at the Senate, I served in many different military domains. My experience is diverse and includes addressing sexual misconduct and culture change in the CAF, as well as leading military health care at the height of the pandemic and through the establishment of the women's health program. I was also the defence champion for women and facilitated the establishment of the defence team pride network, for which I was the interim champion. I understand the people who serve.
Women are one of the fastest-growing segments of military veterans in Canada, and the systems of support for women veterans were designed based on the male experience. This stems from research focusing on male veterans while being presented as gender-neutral. We have learned in health care that gender-neutral excludes women. While I don't deny that we share common experiences, more research is needed on the different sex and gender-specific health and well-being requirements.
I want to state clearly that you cannot address female and women's health without addressing their health while they serve in the Canadian Armed Forces or as members of the RCMP. What does this mean? Ideally, we prevent harm to women in the first place so they don't need to seek veteran services from VAC. It's about the continuity between active service and the support they receive for service-related injuries and illnesses. Women veterans' health is occupational health-related. It sits on a continuum between an initial event during service and their current well-being as a veteran. This remains true whether the disability presents itself immediately or in the future, and we absolutely cannot ignore this reality.
To improve transition and integration into post-service life and to potentially prevent injury to current CAF members, information exchange between the CAF and VAC is essential. By routinely sharing data, such as on injury and illness patterns and trends, we can better understand the impact of military service on women, better prepare for services that veterans will require and better fund them.
Veterans are not a homogenous group. They are an intersection of identities that influence experiences and expectations for the supports they seek and need post-service. Therefore, I would also caution you to not conflate female and women veterans' service requirements with those of other equity-seeking groups. We cannot lump together all those with diverse needs into one program or one funding group without inevitably failing to address key areas that are unique to each specific group. All groups should be considered individually, although harmoniously, so that we can ensure equity and, ultimately, better lived experiences for those who have sustained harm in the service of our country.
The final point I would like to raise before questions is this: The ideal outcome is equitable and fair support for CAF and RCMP members and veterans. The CAF is modernizing and changing, which means that our veterans' needs are changing as well. VAC's mandate to support the well-being of veterans and their families and to promote remembrance of achievements shouldn't be seen as a barrier to doing things differently. We must be proactive in anticipating veterans' needs and not reactive, as is unfortunately so often the case.
As Canadians who are willing to give their all in service of the country, we deserve better.
Thank you, and I look forward to your questions.
Thank you, Mr. Chair.