How Do You Find a Woman Veteran?
A Message to veterans service providers from the DOL VETS Women Veteran Program Manager, Dr. Nancy A. Glowacki
You may know that one in every ten veterans is a woman.
But did you know that only one in every 63 women is a veteran?
Comparatively, one in every six adult men in America is a veteran.
Why are these numbers important? Because they show how easy it is to overlook a woman veteran – something that we must never do as service providers and fellow citizens.
Among younger women, we see an even more extreme divide between veterans, non-veterans, and the general population.
So what does this actually look like in the general population? Let’s consider a group of 100 people. Among 100 people of all ages, 52 will be women and 48 will be men. Nine people will be veterans. Only one of the nine veterans will be a woman, and she will look just like the other 51 women.
So, how do you find a woman veteran?
You ask – and you keep asking, no matter how many women non-veterans you must ask before finding one woman veteran.
If you don’t ask, you won’t know.
As service providers, it is critical that we ask each and every person, “Have you ever served in the military?” to ensure that women veterans are not overlooked, are connected to the appropriate veteran services, and are never left behind!
Your diligence as service providers is greatly appreciated!
For resources, information, employment assistance, and more, visit the Women Veterans page at dol.gov/vets.
Data used in the figures above comes from the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2016 Current Population Survey, Annual Averages.