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All women veterans have the same experiences in service
This is FALSE
UK women veterans are not a homogenous group; their experiences in service can vary greatly. Whilst some may have been impacted by systemic challenges such as the gay ban and pregnancy rules, these are no longer in effect meaning the context that earlier generations and recent leavers served within may differ slightly. However, research shows that some recent service leavers continue to report gender discrimination, echoing concerns raised by earlier generations.
Some women veterans report experiencing gender-based discrimination during service
This is TRUE
Experiences of gender-based discrimination are frequently reported in research. For example, almost half (42.7%) of the 750 women veterans from the WRAC Association sample reported that sexist assumptions were made about them during their service, over a third (40.1%) felt they had to be better than their male colleagues to receive the same recognition at work, and over a third (36.1%) felt that female qualities were less valued than male qualities in the workplace.
Military Sexual Trauma (MST) is a potentially leading cause of military-linked PTSD in women veterans
This is TRUE
UK research found that women veterans who reported experiencing sexual harassment or emotional bullying during service were twice as likely to report PTSD symptoms, and nearly three times as likely if they reported experiencing sexual assault, compared to women veterans who did not report these experiences.
MST is a distinctive traumatic stressor
This is TRUE
Military sexual trauma can be considered a distinctive traumatic stressor; in the same way combat exposure is a distinctive traumatic stressor. There is currently no universal definition of MST, however it is a term acknowledged by many women veterans, clinicians and researchers. MST has been associated with different health outcomes compared to other military-specific traumas or similar traumatic experiences that can take place before or after military service. All service personnel can experience MST, however women are disproportionately the targets.
