How did you get on?
Before 2018, women were not exposed to combat during their military service.
This is FALSE
Although application to all combat roles was not open to women until 2018, women have served on the frontline and been exposed to war and conflict throughout history. This includes serving in medical, support, transport, interpreting, and searcher roles.
To be classed as a veteran, you must have been deployed on a military operation.
This is FALSE
In the UK, a military veteran is anyone who has served at least one day in the UK Armed Forces. This can be in the Regular or Reserve Forces. It also includes Merchant Mariners who have seen duty on legally defined military operations. In general, those who have left before four years are known as ‘early service leavers’.
Most women veterans are of working age.
This is TRUE
Women veterans are on average, younger. Around 60% are aged between 16 and 64 years of age. In comparison, only two-fifths of men veterans are this age, and about a third are aged over 80 years old. In general, the UK veteran population is projected to start skewing younger over time.
95% of UK veterans are men.
This is FALSE
Although the majority are men, the estimate is about 86%. There are more than a quarter of a million women veterans in the UK. Recent data for Great Britain specifically indicates that there are 20,614 (11.7%) women veterans in Scotland and 251,400 (13.6%) located across England and Wales.
