Mishall RehmanWith renewed hope, Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) looks to address inequities female veterans face with the newly established Women Veterans Council.
The Women Veteran Council was first announced at the 2024 Women Veterans Forum in March by VAC Minister Ginette Petitpas Taylor.
“Since 1885, women have played a significant role in the Canadian military and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). Despite ongoing efforts to support serving women and Veterans, inequities remain,” said Amy Meunier, assistant deputy minister, commemoration and public affairs.
These inequities remain in fields, according to VAC, such as “equity to benefits, data equity, economic equity, health equity and access to services, benefits, and program supports.”
Addressing the Needs of Women
The Council was established to “support the fastest growing cohort of Canadian Veterans-Women.”
This especially is vital considering women themselves have expressed the need for VAC to tailor programs and services to their specific needs.
“As Minister Petitpas Taylor announced at the 2024 Women Veterans Forum in March, the creation of a new Women Veterans Council will allow Veterans to shape policies, programs, and events that address women’s specific challenges,” added Meunier.
The Council will report directly to the Minister of VAC and work alongside the organization to provide advice and solutions to the institution.
“The Women Veterans Council will provide advice, based on lived experience and expertise, to achieve equity for women in the areas of health, research, access, practice and policy to support the betterment of all women (serving members and Veterans),” added Meunier in her statement.
Council’s Responsibilities
The Council’s responsibilities include:
- Promoting and monitoring the efforts of the Government of Canada in addressing equity for women in benefit access, data equity, economical equity and health equity; Providing a forum for information exchange, empowerment and action on issues related to women, both in service and post-service;
- Providing a forum for information exchange, empowerment and action on issues related to women, both in service and post-service;
- Actively reviewing all pre-meeting materials shared in advance of Council meetings;
- Actively participating, collaborating and providing feedback, analysis and solutions throughout meetings;
- Developing advice supported by the perspectives gathered from those with lived experience, stakeholder consultation and engagement activities (see Section 10);
- Achieving consensus where possible in presenting formal advice or recommendations to the Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence; however, if there is any abstained or dissenting opinion, it will be recorded;
- Presenting formal recommendations including a written report annually to the Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence reflective of GBA Plus and SGBA Plus analysis to ensure an intersectional approach and that any gaps and challenges are considered within the recommendations put forward.
Who’s on the Council?
The council, which was announced in December, is comprised of twelve women, all with different experiences within the military and RCMP. Each woman also has a diverse personal background.
“The Council is comprised of women from diverse backgrounds and lived experiences, including 2SLGBTQI+, First Nations, Inuit, Métis, Black and racialized Veterans,” states VAC.
The council members are as follows:
- WO (ret’d) Celine Fillion
- Constable (ret’d) Jennifer Chorney
- Maj. Dawn LeBlanc
- Cpl. (ret’d) Sarah Lefurgey
- Capt. (Ret’d) Helene Le Sceuller
- Sgt. (ret’d) Jessica Miller
- Col. (ret’d) Telah Morrison
- Lt.(N) (ret’d) Wenshuang Wen Nie
- Cpl. Ellen Peters
- Capt. (Ret’d) Lindsay Shields
- Constable (ret’d) Vivienne Stewart
- LCol. (Ret’d) Eleanor Taylor.
“The inaugural Women Veterans Council will play a key role in shaping programs and supports for women Veterans. These twelve exceptional Veterans and serving CAF and RCMP members are already leaders in their communities. I look forward to learning from their experiences, heeding their expertise, and working together to advance our shared goal: improving the way the Government serves women Veterans,” said Taylor.
