👩‍✈️ Understanding Women Veteran Statistics in Today’s America

By Covenant of Courage | #ReasonableRanks Campaign

In the past few decades, women have become one of the fastest-growing segments of the U.S. veteran population. Yet while their service has expanded, the systems meant to support them—healthcare, housing, disability benefits, and policy recognition—are still catching up.

To understand what women veterans face today, we must go beyond headlines and look at the numbers, the gaps, and the solutions we urgently need.

📊 Who Are America’s Women Veterans?

• There are over 2 million women veterans in the United States today.

• Women make up about 10% of the total veteran population—and that figure is projected to grow to 16% by 2043, according to the VA.

• Women serve in every branch of the military, in combat and non-combat roles, often outperforming expectations and breaking new ground.

Yet their post-service experiences often diverge significantly from those of their male counterparts.

🚨 Key Challenges Facing Women Veterans

1.

Higher Risk of PTSD and MST

• 1 in 5 women veterans experience PTSD—nearly twice the rate of non-veteran women.

• Over 25% report Military Sexual Trauma (MST) during service, one of the highest predictors of long-term mental health issues.

2.

Increased Risk of Homelessness

• Women veterans are two to three times more likely than non-veteran women to become homeless.

• Factors include economic insecurity, trauma, lack of child care, and difficulty accessing gender-sensitive housing services.

3.

Barriers to VA Benefits

• Women are more likely to be denied VA disability claims related to reproductive health, MST, and PTSD.

• Many VA facilities still lack appropriate care for women, including mental health support, OB-GYN services, and gender-specific advocacy.

4.

Employment Gaps and Discrimination

• After service, women veterans face higher unemployment rates and often report feeling invisible or dismissed in veteran hiring pipelines.

• Many lack access to career continuation options if discharged early due to injury or pregnancy.

💬 “I Served, Too”: The Invisible Struggle

Women veterans frequently describe feeling like “second-class vets.” They’re underrepresented at veteran events, overlooked in outreach programs, and even questioned about whether they really served.

This isn’t just a perception issue—it’s a reflection of systemic data gaps and policy blind spots.

🔍 The Need for Better Data, Policy, and Representation

Understanding and improving the lives of women veterans begins with recognizing where our systems fall short:

✅ Disaggregate Data by Gender – Force agencies to report gender-specific statistics on claims, homelessness, mental health, and more.

✅ Address Bias in VA Claims – Implement oversight to reduce denial rates for women’s claims, especially MST and reproductive health.

✅ Fund Gender-Specific Care – Expand trauma-informed and gender-inclusive health services at VA centers.

✅ Support Career Continuation – Pass reassignment options for pregnant or injured women instead of automatic discharge.

✅ Elevate Women’s Voices – Appoint more women to leadership positions in veteran services and policy-making roles.

✊ The #ReasonableRanks Campaign and Women Veterans

At Covenant of Courage, we launched the #ReasonableRanks campaign to ensure injured, non-deployable, and underserved service members—especially women—get a fair path forward.

We believe:

• Pregnancy shouldn’t end a career.

• Trauma survivors deserve dignity, not dismissal.

• Every woman who served deserves full access to benefits, care, and community.

📢 Take Action

📝 Sign the Petition → https://chng.it/5yXYvkBtMR

🌐 Learn More → www.covenantofcourage.com

📣 Share this article using #ReasonableRanks #WomenVeteransMatter

Women fought to serve. Now it’s time America fights for them.

Let’s turn statistics into solutions—and make visibility, equity, and justice the new standard for all who wore the uniform.