Women Veterans : Lifting the Veil of Invisibility

Women who fight in wars also have to fight for their right to do so. But what are the obstacles impeding their progress in achieving equal status as both active service members and as veterans? This book, written by a team of female veterans and military scholars, demonstrates the ways in which women service members and veterans experience a unique set of challenges when attempting to both honorably serve their country and reintegrate into civilian society following military service. These challenges include – but are not limited to – discrimination, staggering rates of suicide, and barriers to obtaining treatment for military sexual trauma and other critical benefits through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Women Veterans: Lifting the Veil of Invisibility examines current service-related policies and gender in the military’s hierarchical power structure. Here, a confluence of white male privilege and entitlement, the culture of domination, and the effeminization of the enemy manifest themselves as a backlash against women, calling into question a woman’s agency and her very status as a citizen. Special attention in the book is paid to the civil-military divide, representative bureaucracy, and the function of the military and civilian justice systems. Moreover, the need for appropriate healthcare policies and structures is examined within a ‘wicked problems’ framework. The authors conclude that the responsibility for women veterans, and all veterans for that matter, must become a matter of compelling government interest. This ground-breaking book is required reading for practitioners of public policy and administration with an interest in military and veterans affairs, public health, NGOs and activist groups, as well as scholars of gender and public service, public personnel management, and nonprofit management. Preface -- Inter-sectionality -- Women As Warriors -- Women As Other -- Women As Supporters And Caregivers -- Women As Sex Objects -- Women As Marginalized -- Citizenship -- Agency And Second Class Status -- Who Is A Veteran? -- The Selective Service Act -- The Equal Rights Amendment (era) -- The Combat Exclusion Policy -- Military Culture -- Male Privilege And Entitlement -- A Culture Of Domination -- Effeminization Of The Enemy -- Backlash Against Women -- Women And Power -- Women In Power -- Women As Tokens -- Women As Proxies For Men -- The Role Of Equalizers (money, Economics, Education) -- The Civil-military Divide -- Who Serves In The Military? -- The Notion Of Representative Bureaucracy -- Legal Frameworks Apart: The Ucmj V. The Civilian Court System -- Confronting Wicked Problems: The Role Of Health And Violence -- Determinants Of Health -- Impact Of Military Sexual Trauma (mst) -- The Military's Response To Mst -- Biological, Psychological And Sociological Outcomes -- Conclusion: The Implications Of Veiled Invisibility -- The Ethics Of Responsibility. G.l.a. Harris, R. Finn Sumner, And M.c. Gonzalez-prats. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. "This book, written by a team of female veterans and military scholars, argues that female veterans are not fully recognized when seeking institutional VA benefits. It addresses how society neglects to fully acknowledge their service and how the veterans themselves fail to voice their status for fear of further mistreatment or indifference. The book gives an overview of the social roles of women in society and how those perceptions compete with a woman s role in active military successful reintegration."