Equality Includes Woman Who Served

Every August, Women’s Equality Day invites us to remember the long fight for women to be recognized as full participants in American life. August 26 marks the 1920 certification of the 19th Amendment, which prohibited denying the right to vote on the basis of sex. It was a defining achievement, but it did not remove every barrier. Millions of women still faced laws and practices that kept them from the ballot box.

That history carries a familiar message for many women veterans: progress matters, but recognition on paper does not always translate into equality in daily life.

Women have served in every branch of the United States military, yet their service is still frequently overlooked. Some are asked whether their husband served when they request a veteran discount. Others are mistaken for visitors at a VA facility.

Many women hesitate to call themselves veterans because they did not deploy, did not serve in combat, or believe their time in uniform was not significant enough. The Department of Veterans Affairs acknowledges that women veterans continue to experience a lack of recognition and may struggle to see themselves as veterans.

You do not have to compare your service to someone else’s before you are allowed to claim it.

You served.

Your experiences count. Your health matters. You belong in every space created to support veterans.

Equality Is Not the Same as Sameness

Equality does not mean pretending every woman veteran has the same story.

A twenty-five-year-old woman transitioning from active duty may have different concerns than a Vietnam-era veteran. One woman may be managing chronic pain from years of wearing body armor. Another may be balancing medical appointments with work and caregiving. Some women need reproductive health services, while others are navigating menopause, heart disease, mobility changes, or the long-term effects of military trauma.

Equal care recognizes those differences without treating them as inconveniences.

The VA describes women veterans’ health care as personalized care that supports each woman through every stage of life. Services may include primary care, preventive screenings, reproductive health care, mental health treatment, chronic disease management, and support for conditions connected to military service.

Being offered an appointment is access. Being listened to during that appointment is something deeper.

It is dignity.

Let Wellness Reflect the Life You Have Now

Military culture taught many of us to push through discomfort. We completed the mission, handled the problem, and kept moving. That ability may have helped us survive difficult assignments, but it does not always serve us well after separation.

Wellness does not require you to become the person you were at twenty-two. It begins with paying attention to the body and life you have today.

VA’s Whole Health approach starts with a question that is more personal than a standard medical checklist: What matters to you? Instead of focusing only on an illness or injury, Whole Health encourages veterans to consider their goals, values, relationships, environment, and daily habits when creating a health plan.

This August, consider what equality in your own wellness would look like.

Would it mean having a provider who takes your pain seriously?

Would it mean making time for an appointment without feeling guilty about the responsibilities waiting at home?

Could it mean admitting that an old coping strategy is no longer working?

Your answer does not need to resemble anyone else’s.

Make the Appointment You Have Been Postponing

Preventive care is one of the most practical ways to protect your future health. Women veterans can speak with a primary care provider about an individualized schedule for screenings, vaccinations, reproductive health needs, heart health, and management of long-term conditions. VA recommends creating a prevention plan based on your personal history and risk factors rather than relying on a one-size-fits-all schedule.

Think about the appointment you keep moving to the bottom of the list.

It may be a mammogram, dental visit, mental health consultation, hearing evaluation, or follow-up for pain that has become part of your normal routine. Choose one and take the next step. The action may be as simple as sending a secure message or locating the phone number you need.

You do not have to solve every health concern this month. Begin with the one that has been asking for your attention.

Move Without Measuring Yourself Against Military Standards

Movement after military service can become complicated. Exercise may bring back memories of readiness tests and mandatory formations. Injuries may have changed what your body can comfortably do. For some women, a traditional gym does not feel welcoming or safe.

Movement still counts when it looks different.

A walk around the block, gentle stretching, chair exercises, swimming, dancing in your living room, or working with an adaptive fitness professional can support physical and emotional health. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes that adults gain benefits from any amount of moderate-to-vigorous activity, even when they cannot meet the full weekly recommendation. Physical activity can also support sleep, mobility, and brain health.

Choose movement that respects your current abilities. Pain is not proof that the activity is working. Speak with a health care professional when you need help modifying movement around an injury, pregnancy, chronic condition, or disability.

Treat Sleep as Part of Your Health Care

Sleep is often the first thing sacrificed when responsibilities pile up. Yet exhaustion can affect concentration, emotional regulation, pain tolerance, and the ability to make decisions.

Most adults need at least seven hours of sleep in a twenty-four-hour period. Persistent difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, or waking rested is worth discussing with a provider, particularly when sleep is being interrupted by pain, nightmares, anxiety, breathing problems, medication side effects, or hormonal changes.

A better sleep routine does not have to begin with a complete lifestyle overhaul. Start by noticing what happens during the hour before bed. Lower the lights. Put tomorrow’s concerns on paper instead of carrying them into the night. Keep the room as comfortable as possible.

When sleep problems continue, ask for help. Rest is not a reward you receive after everything else is finished. It is part of maintaining your health.

Stay Connected to Women Who Understand Service

Connection can be protective, especially during seasons when isolation begins to feel easier than explaining yourself.

The Office of the U.S. Surgeon General recognizes social connection as an important part of individual and community health. VA also offers peer support and Veteran Socials that allow veterans to meet others, find resources, and participate in community activities.

Connection does not have to mean attending a crowded event or sharing personal information before you are ready. It may begin with coffee beside one other woman veteran. It can look like joining a quiet wellness class or answering a message from someone who has been checking on you.

Choose spaces where you are not required to defend your service or explain why certain situations feel difficult.

The right community will not ask you to perform strength. It will make room for you to arrive as you are.

Ask for Care That Respects You

Every VA medical center has a Women Veterans Program Manager who can help women connect with appropriate services. Women veterans can also call or text the Women Veterans Call Center at 855-829-6636 for assistance navigating VA health care and available resources.

It is appropriate to ask questions during an appointment. It is appropriate to request clarification when something does not make sense. You may ask about another treatment option or request support from a patient advocate when you feel your concerns have not been addressed.

Speaking up for yourself is not being difficult.

It is participating in your own care.

Equality Must Include Wellness

Women’s Equality Day reminds us that meaningful change has rarely happened because women remained quiet about what they needed.

For women veterans, equality includes being recognized as the person who served. It means walking into a veteran space without being treated as though you arrived with someone else. It means receiving health care that understands military experiences while recognizing the full life that followed.

At The Colours Foundation, we believe women veterans should not have to navigate that life alone. Community, trustworthy information, and access to appropriate care can help each woman decide what wellness means for her.

This August, let equality become personal.

Take your place.

Ask the question.

Make the appointment.

And remember that caring for yourself does not diminish the strength that carried you through service. It protects the woman who came home.