Information
Organization's Own Description:
The Servicewomen and Women Veterans Caucus (SWWV) is bipartisan and open to all members of Congress. SWWV will foster collaboration among Members and address issues facing America’s servicewomen and women veterans.
There are over a dozen caucuses that address issues facing servicemembers and/or veterans, but none that are geared towards addressing issues facing the fastest growing cohort in our nation’s military: women. When the draft ended in 1973, women represented just 2 percent of the enlisted forces and 8 percent of the officer corps. Today, those numbers have grown to 16 percent and 18 percent, respectively. Currently, there are nearly two million living women veterans in the U.S. In the next 25 years, women veterans are projected to nearly double their population to account for nearly one in five living veterans.
According to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), the age-adjusted suicide rate for women veterans is almost two times higher than the rate for civilian women. With this in mind, it is especially alarming that, on average, women veterans do connect not with VA services until nearly three years after separating from the military. Data indicates women veterans are just as likely to experience emotionally traumatic or distressing experiences while serving and one in five servicewomen seen by Veterans Health Administration disclose they have experienced Military Sexual Trauma. However, there are few gender-specific care guidelines and a shortage or women program managers and coordinators at the VA.
Beyond these well-documented issues women experience after separating from the military, issues experienced by women during their service are clearly pervasive, though often not as well documented. Retention of women across all services and duty statuses remain concerning. Some Child-Development Centers have year-long wait lists and do not provide 24-hour care for shift workers. Yet, studies have shown many servicewomen choose to separate from active duty due to lack of available child care. The Department of Defense has not conducted a comprehensive reproductive health survey since 1989 and the Marine Corps continues to gender-segregate boot camp and Officer Candidate School. These concerns only highlight a handful of the issues facing women in military service.
As the number of women who serve our country grows, Congress must do more to support them.
Subscribers to LegiStorm Pro see the full address information for Servicewomen and Women Veterans Caucus.
Click here to see more LegiStorm Pro benefits and subscribe, or
log in
to your Pro account.
