Damning VAC Report Reveals Mistreatment Of Female CAF Veterans
The Veterans Affairs Committee has released a report earlier this month on the experiences of women veterans, titled “Invisible no More, The Experiences of Canadian Women Veterans.” It includes committee testimony from around one hundred experiences across more than a year, highlighting the poor treatment of women veterans in Canada.
The committee made 42 recommendations in the report, including an official apology from the Government of Canada. Retired Major Donna Riguidel, co-founder of the Survivor Perspectives Consulting group with the Canadian Armed Forces, says the experiences of women veterans are different and it is 'high time' that was recognized.
“In 2016 I had a sports injury while doing unit fitness training. […] I don’t know why things changed in how I was treated, but the change point happened in 2016, which was a year after I reported being sexually assaulted” [1], said retired Major Carly Arkell. Arkell reports “I had always been taken seriously prior to that, but after that, everything was blamed on my mental health. […] Six months prior to my release, I was diagnosed with a rare genetic disorder. I had no idea I had it and never would have known if I hadn’t had an injury.” [2]
Ginette Pepitas Taylor, Minister of Veterans Affairs, speaks in 2023 (Image: The Hill Times)
The report stated that, during their service, female veterans lacked access to appropriate gear and training support. They also said that their healthcare needs were being ignored and many reported instances of sexual harassment or assault while being an active member of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF).
“It’s 100% mental health issues stemming from prolonged military sexual misconduct. I could no longer be strong. So many years of unacknowledged trauma came flooding to the surface. I tried for almost seven years to get back to how I functioned before, where I could suppress everything and ‘soldier on’. That led to years of depression, suicidal ideations, and multiple suicide attempts,” said a woman veteran in the report. [2]
According to the report, "The CAF acknowledges the problem, but they have been surprisingly slow to react, since this has been a problem as long as there have been servicewomen."
The VAC’s report highlights systemic mistreatment of female veterans in the CAF, including inadequate medical assistance and widespread sexual harassment. “Despite some progress, female Veterans remain largely invisible and their specific needs are often neglected by CAF and VAC programs,” the report states.
Sources / Further Reading:
https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/female-veterans-invisible-report-1.7234130
https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/video/9.6421206
https://www.ourcommons.ca/documentviewer/en/44-1/ACVA/report-15/page-5
[1] ACVA, Evidence, 15 June 2023, 1835, Ms. Carly Arkell (Major (Retired), As an individual).
[2] ACVA, Evidence, 18 May 2023, 1855, Testimony from a woman Veteran, quoted by Alisha Henson (Clinical Psychologist, Supervised Practice, As an individual).
