Issued by: Ministry of Defence, and the Office for Veteran's Affairs

Female veterans are to be put at the heart of government support, through a new women veterans forum announced today.

• New forum which will ensure the voices of women veterans are heard on issues such as housing, employment and health

• New oral history project to improve public understanding and recognition of the experiences and contribution of women veterans to keeping the nation safe

• Projects backed by up to £350,000, part of transformational new Veterans Strategy which recognises veterans as a national asset

Female veterans are to be put at the heart of government support, through a new women veterans forum announced today.

It comes after the Government published the Veterans Strategy last week, resetting how the nation supports and celebrates those who have served.

The UK’s estimated 270,000 female veterans will also gain better recognition for their crucial role in keeping the country safe through a new oral history project. The project will give the public a better understanding of the vital role women in the armed forces have played in keeping the nation safe and their experiences and life before, during and after service.

The initiatives will be unveiled today by Minister for Veterans and People Louise Sandher-Jones MP at the Royal Hospital Chelsea. She previously served in the British Army’s Intelligence Corps, with deployments in the UK, Germany and Afghanistan.

Minister for Veterans and People Louise Sandher-Jones MP said:

"As a veteran, I know first-hand the unique challenges women face in military service and the extraordinary contributions they make. With women now making up 13% of the UK veteran community, we need to make sure that they have a strong voice at the heart of Government.

"This government is renewing the nation’s contract with those who serve and have served. Whether it’s accessing healthcare, housing or employment, I am especially proud of these initiatives to ensure that all women veterans feel respected, heard and catered for."

The forum will provide a direct channel for women veterans to raise issues, and share their lived experiences on the topics that affect them – from housing and health and wellbeing, to employment and community support.

The initiatives will also complement the launch of a new toolkit which will help service providers such as charities and health services to better cater to the needs of women veterans. To sit alongside the toolkit, the Office for Veterans’ Affairs has funded photography of female veterans, short films and a theatre production.

The announcements form part of the Government’s new Veterans Strategy (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/veterans-strategy/veterans-strategy), the first in seven years.

Dorothea Barron, former Wren, said:

"When I served during the war, we were a group of girls desperate to do our bit for our country. The camaraderie and sense of purpose was extraordinary. But after the war ended, we were simply told to go back to the kitchen – our contributions forgotten overnight. How different things are today, where female veterans of the future will have the platform and recognition we could only dream of. It gives me hope that future generations of women who serve will never be written out of the history books the way we were."

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