By Tashi McQueen,
AFRO Political Writer,
tmcqueen@afro.com
The Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) announced that 702,557 women veterans now receive disability benefits, a 26 percent increase from 2019.
The Under Secretary for Benefits, Joshua Jacobs, spoke to the press on March 20, saying this accomplishment is due to the VA’s desire to “build a VA that meets women veterans where they are, rather than asking them to come to us.”
Women make up 16.5 percent of the 18 million veterans in the U.S.
Their recent expansion efforts to better accommodate women veterans included increased healthcare options. The VA now has breast cancer screenings and mammograms for women veterans potentially exposed to toxins, access to reproductive health services and one-on-one maternity care.
According to VA press secretary Terrence Hayes, one reason women veterans were not getting as much access to VA benefits was that they simply did not sign up.
“Women veterans in the past may not have felt welcome by the VA,” said Hayes. “That’s why it’s important now, within our leadership and our VA charged by President Biden, to ensure that we’re going directly to every single veteran.”
Jacobs said the VA is hosting nearly 140 events this year to support women veterans. Throughout 2023, the VA held more than 2,500 events and has begun directly texting and emailing veterans to encourage them to engage with the VA.
“While we’re proud of these accomplishments, there is still more work to do,” said Jacobs. “We want every woman veteran to come to us for the benefits that they’ve earned and deserved. We’re constantly working to expand our outreach and our services to better serve women veterans.”
Zaneta Adams, a U.S. Army veteran and a VA disability beneficiary since 2005, believes the VA can improve its outreach to women and ensure that they know it is a safe place.
“The VA can do better at making sure more women veterans know that the culture has changed for the better,” said Adams, the VA’s deputy assistant secretary for intergovernmental affairs.
Adams said she’s been able to have all-women providers during her time with the VA and access quality mental health services.
“Yesterday’s VA is not today’s VA,” she said. “If you are not taking advantage of the benefits you have earned, you’re missing out.”
Women Veterans can call, text, or chat online with the Women Veterans Call Center (WVCC) at 855-829-6636 for assistance and to find resources and services in their area.
Tashi McQueen is a Report For America corps member.
