When fleeing domestic violence, I received very little help with securing housing or furniture. I had to wait for five months, until I received my first pain and suffering award for PTSD, to pay movers to move me out of public housing to my safe home. My daughter and I slept on a blow-up mattress for three and a half months, while my son slept in the bassinet. Honestly, all that mattered was that my children and I were safe in a beautiful, warm home.
Even though I'm extremely grateful for the income replacement benefit that has supported me in providing shelter and food for my children, being at the lowest threshold of 90% of the lowest amount, I'm not entitled to the 1% career progression, even with the diminished earning capacity, or DEC, decision. Unable to have gainful employment makes me fear for my future stability to provide for my children.
In 2022, I was approved for the CAF long-term disability benefit, or LTD, from the date of my release. Veterans Affairs doesn't honour the same rate of pay as SISIP for a basic corporal. In 2011, veterans who were medically released were struggling financially and taking their own lives, so the lowest pay was changed to $4,500 in 2011.
For the lowest paid 90% threshold, Veterans Affairs uses the threshold of $4,500 with no increased pay for lost career progression and DEC, so I have the same rate now as I did in 2009. I am struggling to provide for my children and cover the high-cost needs of a single mother. Inflation is also at an all-time high. I can't afford to pay for a full-time child care spot for my son. I need child care to attend my medical appointments for my military injuries, which were denied for 15 years, until the beginning of April 2024.
The truth is that updating women's health benefits is an amazing achievement, but not supporting child care to attend medical appointments is just another huge, invisible barrier that women seeking treatment face. Veterans Affairs will pay for someone to take me to my appointment, but won't cover upfront child care service expenses, which are safer for the mother and the child. I have to choose to pay my mortgage or pay for child care.
I understand that the majority of women veterans are past their child-bearing years or, because of their military injuries, have fertility issues and a higher risk of labour complications, like stillbirth, or are completely unable to have children. However, in 2025, there is going to be a massive release of medically injured Canadian Armed Forces women of child-bearing age. If Veterans Affairs doesn't make women's health a priority now for current and future women veterans, we're going to have an epidemic of children and women suffering.
I went 15 years without pelvic floor treatments. I had to take my young son to assessments earlier this month for physical therapy. I was physically ill because of the number of triggers during the assessment. I had no choice. If I don't start treatments as soon as possible, I will be at high risk of having to get a hysterectomy. My son watched me vomit outside my vehicle and cry uncontrollably, and he shouldn't have to.
Hearing the experiences of all women veterans, the government's silence makes me feel forgotten. To be frank, I feel it's a numbers game. The longer veterans go without receiving essential medical care, the more it highly impacts their quality of life and results in a shorter life expectancy. However, for the Canadian government, that's a saving in the long haul for the bottom dollar.
All women veterans' human rights, medical rights and labour rights will continue to be violated and ignored if the women veterans study isn't tabled in Parliament as soon as possible. Our Canadian Armed Forces are faced with extreme global threats. This is a small window in which members sitting at this table have to make a huge impact on the quality of life of women veterans. Even though it is difficult to discuss my gang rape and my life experiences after that, I speak up to help other women not have to go through the same extreme harm.
I would like to end my testimony by honouring the lives of women veterans who have been lost due to not being medically treated for their military injuries, the women veterans who did not receive their rights and benefits and the women veterans who lost their battles with mental health, their medical conditions and poverty related to service. My heart goes out to the families of our lost but not forgotten servicewomen. I pray for the Canadian Armed Forces women and women veterans who have struggled with fertility, miscarriage and stillbirth, and all the little lives we have lost because of the unfair treatment of women's reproductive health while they serve and after service.
I ask this committee to table the women veterans study as soon as possible in Parliament to help protect the safety of women veterans and their children.
Thank you.