(MENAFNEditorial)
What do you think when you hear the word veteran? Often the thought is not associated with women the ideology of a veteran comes from a distant stance because only those that served in the military really know how the institution itself functions. Women were always present in the military. The history of women in the military stems from the Revolutionary War period 1775–1783 to the present. Women who currently make up about 10% of the 20 million veterans are the fastest growing group of veterans in the country. Veteran stereotypes often hinder how women veterans are received and treated.
The number of women in the military – both active duty and veteran populations – is growing rapidly. We face unusual challenges because of our military experiences and for many we play multiple roles such as breadwinner parent and spouse. Often our return to civilian life is difficult. there are currently an estimated 107000 homeless veterans; 7000 are women veterans and women veterans have four times greater risk of homelessness than their civilian counterparts.
The challenge with women veterans is that they do not always self-identify. Women veterans often did not view themselves as “veterans” which has prevented them from accessing services that they are were eligible for based upon their military service. The stress of surviving as a woman in the military has its own type of trauma. The prevalence of a military sexual trauma experience impacts all aspects of daily functioning for women veterans as 1 in 3 women are sexually assaulted in the military. Military sexual Trauma (MST) is an experience of sexual assault or repeated threatening sexual harassment that a veteran experienced during his or her military service it’s a psychological trauma.
The struggle of transitioning back home is a reality for many there are many difficulties of re-integration: dealing with injuries trauma navigating healthcare at the VA and re-entering the economy. The women veteran population has a lack of services that are uniquely designed to meet our needs even though there has been great improvement in the last few years. Repeated experience of trauma has a significant impact on women veterans’ physical and mental health coping skills and ability to access support maintain stable employment and housing. The demand for self-reliance among women in the military and the pressure to prove that one is strong and capable creates a culture where seeking services is seen as a sign of weakness further contributing to the risk of homelessness and other challenges.
Sgt. Stephanie Shannon can attest to the many challenges that the women veteran population face upon their return from war because she is one that has experienced living 20 years undiagnosed with PTSD caused by MST and the GWI. Her bestselling war memoir Battling the Storm Within brings awareness to the many issues veterans face and how to overcome adversity and many obstacles and live again.
Shannon says "I found my voice and was compelled to found and lead the Michigan Women Veterans Empowerment a 501c3 non-profit organization with a mission is to identify connect empower recognize support and provide a voice for the women veterans in Michigan. Awareness is imperative as these issues arise so does our understanding of the challenges our women veterans face each day. Our most sincere hope is to empower our women veterans once again and to help them make a successful transition into all the areas of their new civilian lives and to find self-sufficiency for themselves and stabilize their families. Michigan Women Veteran Empowerment is a women veteran led collaboration of members of the Michigan veteran community working together to create women veteran programs that are tailored made to meet the needs and fulfill the desires of the Michigan women veteran population and their families. Michigan Women Veterans Empowerment seeks to work with organizations and individuals within the community to address the problems women veterans face and provide solutions. We are hosting the first Michigan Women Veterans Conference on November 12 2016 in the Detroit Metro Area. Also we are looking for women veterans to share their stories in Michigan Women Veterans Anthology Book project 'Our Voices United'.
"Join the movement. Together we can make a difference! Lets pass it on rather than quietly standing by. We will act and advocate We will teach lead and impact the lives of others."
Contact Sgt. Stephanie J. Shannon President/Founder of Michigan Women Veterans Empowerment
For more information visit:
www.empowermiwomenvets.com
Email: MIWVEC@yahoo.com
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