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Report: Services for female veterans fall short

 
Published Sept. 25, 2014

WASHINGTON — The Department of Veterans Affairs and other government agencies are not doing enough to help women who have served in the military, even as their number is rising dramatically, according to a new report.

The report, released Wednesday by Disabled American Veterans, identifies serious gender gaps in virtually every program serving veterans, including such areas as health care, job training, finance, housing, social issues and combatting sexual assault.

The advocacy group's report blames most of the deficiencies on a disregard for the needs of female veterans, saying the VA and other agencies focus on "the 80 percent solution for men who dominate (veterans affairs) in both numbers and public consciousness."

A sharp increase in the reporting of military sexual trauma is an illustration of problems that require "radical change" at the VA and throughout the military, the report says.

"At a time when the number of women veterans is growing to unprecedented levels, our country is simply not doing enough to meet their health, social and economic needs," said Joy Ilem, DAV's deputy national legislative director. Female veterans "deserve equal respect, consideration and care as the men who served," she said.

Dr. Carolyn Clancy, the VA's acting undersecretary for health, said the VA will consider all of the report's 27 recommendations on topics including health care, education, job training and sexual assault.

The report will serve "as our road map for improvements," Clancy told a gathering of female veterans and their supporters at the Capitol on Wednesday.