Thank you for your question.
First, as mentioned, the issue of chronic pain in relation to pain and mental suffering definitely needs to be further addressed.
Second, as other speakers have mentioned, women, who have a maternal role, often give priority to the services they provide to others instead of caring for themselves. I think that's what we need to look at. How can we reach women in their reality?
For example, women must always score higher to be equal to men—I was one of them. They don't talk about the abuse so they don't get left out. However, women should be able to earn the respect they deserve. Even today, it's sad to see that in Quebec, we have a beautiful licence plate that only includes the masculine form, “vétéran”. I would have liked to see the word “vétérane” there, because some women veterans are still being asked if it's their spouse's car.
We really need to put some effort into recognizing the role women play in the Canadian Armed Forces, as well as the reality they experience while they are serving.