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The Department of Veterans Affairs is taking steps to become more inclusive. Two separate working groups have been created since early April 2021 in an attempt to curb bias and unequal access to VA services.
The first group was announced in an April 14 press release: Secretary Dennis McDonough established a 120-day task force that would investigate how the VA approaches issues of “diversity, equity, and access” before creating actionable recommendations. The VA says that the task force will, among other requirements, review all policies and training programs to identify areas where the VA can improve access for underserved groups.
The VA also notes that the task force was created in direct response to a 2019 Government Accountability Office report that exposed substantial barriers to accessing VA services, including race, sex, and gender identity. A separate GAO report also reported on numerous instances of gender bias towards female veterans and servicemembers. For example, the GAO found that female servicemembers consistently pay more for uniforms.
More recently, the VA announced on May 6 that it is seeking nominations to head its Sexual Assault/Sexual Harassment Working Group. The appointments are to last for one year and the group is expected to review and develop new policies aimed at reducing and eliminating sexual assault and harassment at VA facilities.
A 2020 study co-authored by the Department of Defense and the VA found that female servicemembers are less likely to seek VA medical care due to a lack of “gender sensitivity” and rampant “unwanted sexual attention” during military service. The DoD and VA also found that women who had experienced some form of sexual abuse during their military career were significantly less likely to enroll in VA services.
Author: Christian Southards
Coming from a family with a proud military background and wanting to contribute his writing skills to a worthy cause, Christian began writing for the California American Legion in August of 2020. His father is a 25-year Army Veteran and his grandfather served in the Navy during Vietnam.
