Originally published by The Big Smoke on the 14th of November 2025.
By improving pathways to aid transition into civilian life, Australia can not only support its women veterans in their new careers, but also strengthen its workforce, and the broader economy.
Leaving the military marks a pivotal crossroads, one that offers new beginnings but often brings profound challenges. When women take off the uniform, they don’t shed their strength, skill, or leadership. Yet too often, they step into a world that doesn’t quite know what to do with them. Despite being highly trained, disciplined, and experienced leaders, many women veterans find that these hard-earned qualities don’t always translate smoothly into civilian employment. Understanding and addressing the barriers they face isn’t just about fairness; it’s about unlocking potential, improving individual outcomes, and strengthening the Australian workforce as a whole.
Our women veterans leave the military with a wealth of knowledge and experience: leadership under pressure, logistics management, strategic planning, and technical expertise. Yet, despite these impressive qualifications, many report difficulty communicating their military experience in terms that civilian employers recognise. The language of the military, rank structures, operational terminology, and mission-focused metrics can seem opaque or irrelevant in a corporate context.
What can be described as a “skills paradox” leaves many women veterans in a frustrating limbo: they are highly competent yet often feel undervalued or misunderstood. This year’s Women Veterans Baseline Data Report from the Department Of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) revealed that although 29.2% of women veterans hold a bachelor’s degree or higher, 46.5% are not in paid employment despite more than one-third being of working age.
The challenges faced by women veterans are not just anecdotal. The Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide (2023) highlighted that women in the Australian Defence Force (ADF) often experience gendered disadvantages, including harassment and a highly masculinised culture, which can affect both their service and post-service opportunities. Such systemic issues make translating military skills into civilian employment even more complex.
Compounding the challenge is the intersection of gender and veteran status. Women in the military have historically been underrepresented in combat and technical roles, despite making up an increasing proportion of the ADF. Civilian employers, consciously or unconsciously, may hold outdated perceptions about military women’s experience, assuming they lack leadership, technical, or high-pressure decision-making skills.
These biases manifest in hiring practices. Women veterans report encountering questions framed around traditional gender roles or assumptions about family commitments, rather than their capability and experience. For example, being asked how they will “balance work and family” in an interview is a subtle but pervasive barrier that male veterans rarely encounter.
The Royal Commission’s findings further point to gaps in existing support structures, noting that services are often not tailored to women veterans’ specific needs. This means that women may encounter both workplace bias and inadequate support when navigating career transitions, thereby reinforcing barriers to achieving meaningful employment.
Military culture and civilian workplaces often operate on fundamentally different principles. The military emphasises hierarchy, direct communication, and mission-focussed teamwork. Civilian workplaces, by contrast, may reward self-promotion, networking, and collaborative negotiation. For women veterans, adapting to this shift can feel like learning a new language. The challenge is particularly acute in male-dominated industries where civilian peers may lack an understanding of military experience altogether. Women veterans may find themselves having to over-explain or justify their credentials, navigating stereotypes both as veterans and as women in professional environments.
Ensuring women veterans have equal access to employment opportunities is both a matter of fairness and of national benefit. In recognising and harnessing their talents, Australia stands to gain not just skilled employees but leaders, innovators, and resilient professionals ready to contribute in new ways.
While there are programs in Australia designed to help veterans transition, research suggests they are often more attuned to male veterans’ experiences. Career coaching, mentorship, and networking opportunities tailored to women veterans are limited, leaving many to navigate the civilian job market on their own.
Organisations such as Women Veterans Australia are working to fill this gap, offering mentoring, workshops, and peer support. Yet access can be uneven, particularly for veterans in regional or remote areas. Without targeted initiatives, the unique needs of women veterans may continue to be overlooked.
Addressing these barriers requires both systemic change and individual support. Employers need to recognise the transferable skills women veterans bring and provide frameworks to evaluate military experience in civilian terms. Hiring practices can be adapted to focus on competencies rather than job history alone, with interview panels educated on military culture and gender sensitivity.
Mentorship programs, such as the Women Veteran Australia’s Phoenix Entrepreneur Program, that pair women veterans with experienced civilian professionals, can also accelerate transition. Such programs help veterans understand workplace norms, translate their skills into relevant language, and expand their professional networks.