03-21-2019
On March 12, 2019, the New York Times published a report detailing the conduct female veterans are subject to when they seek medical services from VA facilities. According to the female veterans interviewed, they are subjected to lewd looks, inappropriate comments, and made to feel very uncomfortable whenever they enter the facilities.According to the report, the harassment is so significant that many female veterans choose not to seek services. Roughly 30% of female veterans report being harassed while they were serving in the military and that treatment seemingly is continuing in medical facilities. A hearing was held on Capitol Hill where one congressperson described a VA health care facility as being like a “construction site.” Another Congress member reported that the most common complaint he received from female veterans was the lack of safety they feel at VA medical centers.
Not only are these women asserting that they are harassed, but they also complain that there is continuing sex discrimination as well. Front desk employees are allegedly presuming they are the wives of servicemen and these women are denied the simple complimentary services offered to vets. In fact, the veteran’s administration motto still remains “To care for him who shall have borne the battle for his widow, and his orphan.” This motto fails to reflect the changing face of the military. The VA is trying to change the atmosphere, offering more providers focused on women’s health and some offer separate facilities for women.