ACVA Committee Report

Rachel Blaney -- NDP Supplemental Report

The Veterans Affairs Committee (ACVA) has undertaken a vital, long-overdue study concerning the experiences of women Veterans during their time with the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) and as Veterans. This study is crucial in exposing how women, and here we include everyone who identifies as a woman, are treated by the systems they committed themselves to. Those women who came forward showed incredible courage in sharing their stories. Many spoke of their experiences of sexual trauma and misconduct, their long-lasting physical and psychological injuries, and the invisibility they felt at having their realities ignored by CAF, Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC), and governments of all stripes.

Unfortunately, the study confirmed what many women we heard from already know: the experiences of women in the CAF and as Veterans are routinely ignored or dismissed. They are unable to obtain treatment due to a lack of healthcare providers who are knowledgeable about women’s healthcare, and they are all too frequently victims of sexual trauma, harassment, and other misconduct during their time in CAF.

This issue extends from the CAF to the VAC and decades of successive governments that refused to recognize the voices of women and repeatedly failed to enact change. It also filters beyond the organizations into society as a whole.

In her testimony, Professor Maya Eichler, pointed out how women’s invisibility permeates society:

“I think there is also a lack of a clear-cut woman Veteran identity that you can step into in Canada. There's no social imagination of who a woman Veteran is. If you talk about Veterans, people will see the image of an elderly Second World War Veteran. I think that's part of what needs to change at a broader national and societal level, that we see women as service members and as Veterans.”[1]

The underlying issue is clear. When women were finally allowed in the CAF, its programs and policies should have been reviewed to consider how including women would change the way CAF operates. CAF should then have adjusted to treat women as equals to men, rather than continuing with oppressive policies that made it incredibly difficult and traumatic for women to serve. When women came forward, they should have been heard, rather than being made invisible.

Instead, CAF’s policies punished women, violated their safety, and made them targets when they reported issues within the CAF. Among the many abuses women faced were being forced to wear uniforms and use equipment made for men, lacking access to medical care specific to women, and a misogynistic culture that allowed military sexual trauma to thrive.

CAF has given much lip service regarding its progress, but progress has almost entirely been forced, either through regulations or by the court system. Rarely has change been made without outside pressure. Often, women were left to solve their own problems, or put up with their unacceptable treatment.

During testimony, Capt(N) (Ret’d) Louise Siew shared her story of being pregnant while serving and having no access to maternity uniforms. “I wore my own version of a maternity uniform when the military offered me no uniform option. I maintained an informal network of hundreds of servicewomen from across the Canadian Forces to whom I would pass on information regarding ongoing issues such as equipment, uniform, maternity benefits, etc. I fended off sexual aggressions and suffered many rebukes for my activism, and I always felt like I was on my own in these fights.”[2]

CAF’s lack of proper medical equipment resulted in women undertaking long journeys while on missions to obtain proper medical care. Major (Retired) Dr. Karen Breeck spoke about ensuring medical equipment such as specula were mandatory on UN missions so women who were serving no longer had to spend time away from a mission–often at great risk to themselves–so they could access vital medical equipment.[3]

Most CAF research is focused on men or on comparing women to men. This typically makes women invisible in the system and results in misdiagnoses, preventing women from obtaining proper treatment. As a result, there are critical gaps in our knowledge and understanding of women Veterans’ health and their experiences.

Lieutenant-Colonel (Retired) Sandra Perron testified at committee that menopausal symptoms are being misdiagnosed as anxiety disorder, which is clearly related to the lack of female-specific medical knowledge in the CAF medical system.[4]

Additionally, Senator Rebecca Patterson noted that the term “gender neutral” excludes women and said that women should not be lumped into one program or funding area for all equity groups.[5]

While Gender Based Analysis Plus (GBA+) reports are meant to address such issues, Dr. Eichler noted such reports are poorly done, often in a superficial and not transparent way.

“Sharing [GBA+ reports] in a transparent way would allow for that feedback, which would be really important. Veterans Affairs Canada has a GBA+ strategy, but I haven’t seen a lot of the analyses shared, so I would definitely encourage you to ask for those.”[6]

The NDP agrees women’s experiences must be given proper consideration and context. We recommend publication of the VAC’s GBA+ reports, which will provide context on the performance of its gender and diversity programs and increase transparency.

This study provides an important picture of the abuses and injustices women in the CAF and women Veterans face. However, it is not a full picture. We know many women have struggled, but we did not hear enough of the experiences of the BIPOC or LGBTQ+ communities to get a full picture of what they endured. Their lived experiences are crucial to understanding how CAF and VAC treats all servicewomen and Veterans. More work must be done to create a safe space where anyone who identifies as a woman feels empowered to come forward and share their stories.

The NDP recommends more be done at the CAF, VAC, and Committee levels to ensure those who work with and help Veterans and servicemembers receive trauma-informed training. Every Veteran who contacts VAC has experienced some form of trauma while in service, yet few receive care that recognizes the role trauma plays in their health issues and interactions with services.

Further, this trauma-informed training must also consider the differences in how trauma manifests between women and men.

Christine Wood said “Women-specific issues are invisible” and noted that her post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) manifests physically, but VAC doesn’t recognize her health challenges as related to PTSD. As a result, her benefit claims have all been denied.[7]

In her testimony, Major (Retired) Joanne Seviour, an 11-year client of Veterans Affairs, said, “On this issue in particular, I'll say for the physical injury, Veterans Affairs has been very helpful, but I almost felt like I was dealing with a private insurer who denies everything the first time in the hope you'll go away.”[8]

It’s evident from the testimony of the women Veterans that the VAC’s bureaucratic application processes are not trauma informed. The only training VAC workers receive is a couple of hours about trauma and Veterans through an online portal, with no follow up.

Additionally, despite high levels of military sexual trauma, there is no mandatory training in place to support military sexual trauma survivors. Major (Retired) Donna Riguidel said she “tried to gut it out,” after she was repeatedly assaulted, abused, and harassed, but received no support, even after creating a training program for CAF on supporting victims of military sexual trauma, for which she won an award.

“In 2014, there was no mandatory training on how to support somebody disclosing military sexual trauma. There still isn't. Being raped should not cost you your career…In spring 2021, four female survivors got together and created a group. We call ourselves the Survivor Perspectives Consulting Group. In my final year in uniform, I trained almost 2,000 members of the CAF on how to support those who are victimized and how to recognize the earlier roots of that behaviour. We've taught brand new recruits up to three-star generals. In our post-training survey, 83% of those trained say that they now know how to support someone. So far, 98% have said that this should be CAF-wide…In my last year in uniform, I received a CDS commendation for creating this program, and I got a letter from Lieutenant-General Carignan, saying that the CAF leadership sees no value in institutionalizing this training. None of the leadership from CPCC or the CDS's office has taken this training.”[9]

Joanne Seviour further noted, “When I was diagnosed—I spent six months being diagnosed by a clinical psychologist with female sexual interest disorder, which is a new DSM diagnosis, and with persistent depressive—Veterans Affairs ignored one of them. I spoke to four different people, who said, ‘Well, we didn't deny it. We just ignored it.’ You know, that's kind of insulting to me as a Canadian and as a client—you just ignored it.”[10]

Veterans and those served by VAC risked their lives and personal wellbeing to serve their country. VAC culture must move from being one of an insurance agency to one that cares, and uses trauma-informed practices to better serve its clients.

Too often, we think oppression only takes the form of obvious hate and abuse. But oppression is also more insidious. Oppression is ignoring the realities of our fellow human beings. It’s explicitly saying or implicitly showing that anyone outside a specific frame of reference must either change themselves to fit into that frame of reference or risk being ignored, excluded, and diminished.

In the cases of the incredibly courageous women who signed up for the CAF, that oppression came from the very institution they were willing to risk their health and safety to be part of. They dedicated themselves to the CAF only to be repeatedly shown and told that their realities, their hurts, and the abuses they suffered as a result of enlisting didn’t matter.

The women who shared their stories displayed great courage, as did those who showed up in solidarity with them. Speaking about abuses, military sexual trauma, harassment, and invisibility is not easy. We owe these women a debt that can never be repaid and we must demand and expect change moving forward.

In the words of Hélène Le Scelleur, “I am one of the many women who learned to keep our hurt, abuse and suffering quiet in order to gain respect as a military member—but what happens when our careers are forced to an end that we did not choose, and our wounds, whether physical or psychological, become symbols of the end? I believe it is important to consider that this transition to civilian life is not without its challenges for women Veterans, because in addition to coming out, they must also face justification that they are also wounded Veterans and they deserve respect.”[11]

While this study is an important step in the right direction, it is only that. An important step. It is not and cannot be the end of this journey. All women who currently serve, have served, and will serve deserve to have their voices heard and their perspectives taken seriously. This means adopting the recommendations in the report, treating women as equal participants in CAF, and ensuring they have the access to the supports and resources they need to thrive, both while they serve and as Veterans.

This goes beyond party lines. Government after government has ignored the voices of Veteran women and servicewomen. That so many women came forward and stood in solidarity shows they have faith there can still be meaningful change, and they feel passionately about this report.

Dr. Breeck said, “It's rapidly becoming an issue of national security importance to develop a strategic, whole-of-government plan on how to do better on including and caring for the women of this nation when they join the military and thereafter.”[12]

The women who testified and those who did not feel comfortable doing so deserve our gratitude, our recognition, and our respect. They also deserve our action. They have supported and looked after each other through their service and after, which is a beautiful thing to see. It’s beyond time for the government and its institutions to support and look after them.

This report has given women a glimmer of hope that something will finally be done. Let’s not squander that hope by turning it into cynicism through government inaction. It’s our duty to act on the report’s recommendations to ensure these women truly are invisible no more.