Different and the same

The Female Veterans Transformation Programme (FVTP) seeks to transform service provision for female veterans through the production of a toolkit for use by the statutory, charity and commercial sector. It is a tri-service (the Royal Navy, the British Army, and the Royal Air Force), UK-wide, three year programme funded by the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust and NHS England. As my time working on the programme draws to a close, I have been reflecting on what I have learnt over the last eighteen months.¹

It has been fascinating and fulfilling to work on a programme so connected to the female veterans it seeks to support. We have heard from over 600 female veterans through questionnaires and a further 200 at focus groups across the UK. My research prior to joining the team meant I had worked with veterans, but always talking about their experiences of military service or particular conflicts.

Through this opportunity I have learnt so much about the veterans sector and the many different themes that make up our toolkit, from physical and mental health to transition, housing and employment. I could go on, but I think our infographics (Statement of Need; What Good Looks Like for Female Veterans; Communications Guidance; A Person Centred Approach) speak for themselves in highlighting what the programme has learnt from the research, female veterans, and those who work with them.

As I thought about what would really stay with me beyond all this, there are two things that underpin the essence of this programme for me: identity and collaboration.

The meaning of 'veteran'

I have always thought of myself as ex-Navy or ex-military, and that is how I would instinctively introduce myself to others. I just never really felt like the word 'veteran' meant me. So, it was enlightening to find that only 30% of female veterans identify with this term and that I am, consequently, far from unusual in feeling as I do. So, it has been with curiosity that I have found myself thinking about how the programme engages with women who do not identify as female veterans (alongside those who do).

This has been a challenge, and one that continues as we work towards the launch of the toolkit and consider how we reach organisations that may not think of themselves as employing female veterans or having clients who are female veterans. The question 'Have you ever served?' has become a mantra for the team as we have sought to emphasise the importance of identifying whether someone has a military past in order to ensure they can access services they are entitled to. I find that whilst I still shy away from the term 'veteran', I do recognise services for female veterans mean me too!

This question of identity has come up repeatedly across the research and our own consultation and co-design, with female veterans telling us, not only about how they relate to the term ‘veteran’ but in highlighting that there is no such thing as a ‘female veteran type’.

The programme, on behalf of the female veteran community, advocates simply for recognition of their difference. Female veterans are neither old or young; black, white or brown; gay or straight; sailor, soldier or aviator; combat veteran or not; disabled or able-bodied, officer or junior rank; middle class or working class. They are all these things and so many more.

The female veteran community cohere around specific needs but this does not mean that they are a homogenous group. They may have a common need for mental or physical health support but the specific needs all differ, and it is for this reason that the programme has placed such emphasis on person-centred approaches that work with the individual.

More in common

Nonetheless, as I turn to the second of the things that will stay with me, it is collaboration. It was through recognition of the diversity of the cohort but, at the same time, the commonality of what they were asking for that I felt the real power of numbers.

Our programme is working on behalf of the over 250,000 female veterans in the UK, and in speaking to a small but significant proportion of this community, we have heard so many common themes. This was whether we were hearing from those formerly from the senior or junior ranks, whether from Northern Ireland or England, or whether serving many decades ago or up to quite recently.

For me, this really resonated with a moment in my military career when I was working with Afghan women in Helmand to help develop a provincial plan for women and a colleague encouraged us all to work together across cultures by harnessing the fact that, whatever our differences, we were all women and thus had some common experiences to draw on. I have experienced something similar through this programme, and never more so than through our engagement with international leaders in the female veteran community.

In bringing together representatives from the US, Canada, Australia, Ukraine and the UK devolved administrations, it was striking to hear them all talk about the media scandals, followed by government inquiries, many of which had made similar recommendations to those in the UK. There is strength in sharing these common experiences, whilst acknowledging contextual differences, to work together to bring about tangible change that transforms the lives of former servicewomen.

Looking ahead

As I step away from a formal role with the programme, I will remain an ally going forward and will, in fact, be back with the FVTP team for the day in early April for their toolkit workshop! But from the onset (well before I started at ARU), the programme has had a strong relationship with the Centre for Military Women’s Research, and I know that this will continue going forward and expand to include CEEUPS too.

In Liza, the programme has a dedicated and compassionate leader who is committed to making a toolkit which is practical and transformative. It has been a pleasure too to hand over the reins to Stacey as the new Communications and Engagement Officer bringing her expertise in Diversity and Inclusion to the development and implementation phase of the programme.

The programme is also magnificently supported by Ali Brown and the members of the FVTP Steering Group who provide invaluable strategic direction to the team. I eagerly anticipate the launch of the toolkit in November 2025 – keep your eyes on the FVTP website and social media channels to keep up to date with the programme.

Dr Hannah West, Senior Research Fellow, CEEUPS

¹ Initially as the Communications and Engagement Officer working three days/week and, on starting at ARU full-time as a Senior Research Fellow, I continued as a Senior Programme Officer on the Female Veterans Transformation Programme one day/week.