VAC's efforts to make inclusive disability benefit decisions continue with the review of our entitlement eligibility guidelines and table of disability to ensure they are inclusive. VAC added a dedicated team to process disability benefit claims from applicant women veterans.
Several other important initiatives are under way in the department to support female veterans. For example, Dr. Cyd Courchesne, who is with us today, is the veteran health champion.
We launched a regular feature dedicated to women veterans in “Salute!”, our monthly newsletter.
Over the past three months, we have held three round tables with women veterans on the topic of employment, homelessness and the concept of a women veterans council.
We've also heard how important it is to connect women veterans with others in the community through the sharing of stories. Over the past few weeks, we have recorded 19 new interviews with women veterans who shared their experience, and we intend to make those available across all our channels for others to view.
We are increasing educational content and learning material that profile the service and sacrifice of women CAF members and veterans, and are taking more steps to engage educators and youth to ensure awareness of this information.
For 2022-23, $250,000 was provided to the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre through the veteran and family well-being fund. In addition, a total of $70,000 has been allocated to the Canadian women's well‑being initiative, which provides stress reduction training to women veterans and their families.
The Government of Canada funds two centres of excellence: the Atlas Institute and the chronic pain centre of excellence. Both centres are in the process of conducting research projects related to women veterans' health. Various OSI clinics funded by VAC have started group treatments focusing specifically on women's needs, including mindfulness, wellness groups and women's groups for military sexual trauma.
VAC's veteran well-being community health needs assessment is well under way to develop an inclusive holistic vision of the health and well-being of Canadian veterans, with a particular interest on equity-deserving groups such as women.
Veterans Affairs Canada takes many steps to ensure that women veterans receive the support and services they need and deserve. However, we recognize that much more needs to be done. That's why we're eagerly awaiting this committee's recommendations on how we can improve the experience of women veterans.
Thank you.