Project summary:
The Cobseo Female Veteran Cluster Group, supported by NHS England, commissioned this scoping study to map the existing evidence base, identify critical research gaps, and set out a framework for prioritising future research and support for the health and well-being of female veterans in the UK. The study combined a scoping review of 50 UK papers, evidence from international Five Eyes nations, 13 subject matter expert interviews, and two stakeholder workshops with female veterans and support organisations.
The research found that women veterans face a distinctive set of challenges across their service and post-service lives. The study also revealed substantial gaps in UK evidence around female veterans’ finances, housing, employment, and social relationships, alongside a tendency in existing research to treat women veterans as a single homogenous group rather than recognising differences across service branch, rank, era, and personal circumstances. These findings informed a prioritised framework of recommendations, including tailoring services around the term “ex-servicewomen” rather than “veteran,” embedding female peer support ambassadors, and commissioning urgent research into the health impacts of sexual harassment and assault during service.
