An Australian-first research project to improve wellbeing support services for women veterans in the State has been announced by the NSW Government, in partnership with RSL NSW and Monash University.
An action of the recently-launched NSW Veterans Strategy 2025-2030, the Shaping Support Services for Women Veterans project will explore how veteran wellbeing services may be tailored to the needs of former servicewomen in NSW.
With a growing number of women veterans it is important to understand the challenges they face when using these services, said Minister for Veterans, David Harris.
“The NSW Government is partnering with RSL NSW and Monash University to conduct an Australian-first project that gives a voice to women veterans while shaping plans for veteran-specific wellbeing support options in NSW,” said Minister Harris.
“As the number of women in the veteran community continues to grow, it is essential that veteran wellbeing services which were historically designed with men in mind, evolve to address the unique needs of all genders.”
The research will include a survey and interviews with women veterans to learn about their experiences, challenges, and further support needs.
The survey will ask women veterans about what’s important to them and what areas need to be improved, including balancing caregiving responsibilities, dealing with women’s specific health needs, and managing service-related physical and mental health issues.
“NSW is home to almost 15,000 female veterans and this research project is all about ensuring their voices are heard,” said Minister for Women, Jodie Harrison.
“We know women are making a significant contribution in roles traditionally occupied by men whether it be in the Air Force, Army or Navy.
“Veterans have made significant sacrifices to uphold the defence of our nation and deserve to know that all levels of government value them.”
According to the 2021 ABS Census data, NSW is home to 127,600 ADF veterans, 11.7% of who are women (14,923). At the time of the census, 3,876 women were serving full-time in the ADF, with an additional 1,183 in the Reserves. Together, they accounted for 20% of the total currently serving ADF personnel.
“Women veterans represent a growing segment of the veteran population, yet our experiences and needs have historically been underrepresented in veteran support services. Women veterans are more likely to have faced issues around sexual trauma, reproductive health issues and mental health conditions,” said RAAF veteran and President of the Defence Force Welfare Association, Del Gaudry CSC.
“To provide more tailored services to women veterans, relevant data is needed to support and shape services specifically for women. I believe this survey will underscore the commitment to addressing the unique needs and challenges which can differ significantly from those of our male counterparts.”
Participation in the research is voluntary and includes an online anonymous survey to capture data on the experiences of women veterans accessing veteran-specific services, and an optional follow up interview that allows participants to expand on their responses and experiences.
“RSL NSW is proud to be working with the NSW Government to progress this innovative research project to ensure women veterans have access to the tailored support services that they need,” said RSL NSW CEO, Giles Hurst.
“Importantly, this work will be informed by the experiences of women who have served in the Australian Defence Force, including the challenges they have encountered when accessing support services. This is critical to ensuring some 20,000 current and former servicewomen who reside in NSW have timely access to high-quality services into the future.”
For more information and to participate in the survey visit the Shaping Support Services for Women Veterans web page.
To read the NSW Veterans Strategy 2025-2030 visit the NSW Veterans Strategy web page.
