First Published: The Big Smoke on 16 July 2025
Women Veterans Australia is proud to be part of a movement that recognises women who serve not only in military, but in their communities, businesses, and public life.
For too long, the image of the Australian veteran has been narrowly defined—shaped by a masculine stereotype that overlooks the tens of thousands of women who have served with strength, skill, and sacrifice. Today, Women Veterans Australia is proud to be part of a growing movement, one that recognises women not only for their military service, but for the extraordinary leadership they continue to show in communities, businesses and public life.
The time for quiet service and silent sacrifice is over. Across Australia, women veterans are stepping forward—not just as sailors, soldiers, and aviators, but as leaders, change makers, and voices of a new era. No longer content with being overlooked or underrepresented, they are rewriting the narrative of what it means to be a veteran in this country.
And they’re doing it on their own terms.
Women have served in the Australian Defence Force (ADF) for over a century. From nurses in World War I to combat-ready officers and commanders in contemporary operations, women have consistently stepped forward to serve their country, often facing additional challenges simply because of their gender. They have led, protected, healed, strategised, and sacrificed. But history has too often pushed them to the margins—their stories sidelined, their contributions underestimated.
Even now, women veterans are underrepresented in veteran policy decisions, media portrayals, leadership boards, and commemoration events. It’s not because their contributions are less valuable. It’s because the system and the stories we tell haven’t caught up.
That needs to change. And it is changing—because women veterans are leading that change themselves. They are claiming space, demanding visibility, and using their experience to lead far beyond the uniform.
Visibility of women veterans isn’t just symbolic, it’s strategic. Research has consistently shown that the visibility of women veterans is central to improving Defence workforce capability, and vital to the effective delivery of support within the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA). The impact of visibility shapes every aspect of service, transition, and reintegration into civilian life.
In Canada, this issue was serious enough that a parliamentary committee entitled its report “Invisible No More: The Experiences Of Women Veterans”, leading to new initiatives to acknowledge and support ex-serving women. Similarly, in the United Kingdom, the Female Veterans Transformation Programme identified veteran identity and lack of visibility as a leading barrier for women exiting military life.
Australia, too, is recognising this issue. The forthcoming Women Veterans Strategy, under development by DVA, aims to ensure that ex-serving and current-serving women veterans are not only visible but valued, their experiences acknowledged, and their contributions integrated into policy and service design. When visibility is absent, support structures fail to respond appropriately. When it’s prioritised, outcomes improve across the board.
Women who serve, lead, and inspire aren’t rare—they’re already here, contributing to Defence capability every day, at home and on operations. They’ve simply not been the story that gets told.
Service in the ADF equips individuals with leadership, resilience, and a deep sense of duty. When women leave Defence, they don’t leave these qualities behind—they channel them into business ventures, community leadership, advocacy, education, and family life.
Across Australia, women veterans are founding not-for-profits, running companies, mentoring others, and standing for public office. They are teachers, paramedics, tech entrepreneurs, psychologists, regional community champions, and change makers. They are community leaders, CEOs, educators, and advocates. They are creating impact while raising families, healing from trauma, and carving out new paths in male-dominated spaces—often all at once. Many of them carry the dual weight of post-service transition and caring for their families while building impactful second careers.
We must spotlight these women not as exceptions, but as examples.
Visibility of women veterans isn’t about tokenism, it’s about belonging. When a young woman sees a veteran who looks like her at ANZAC Day Service in Parliament, or within the media, it sends a message: “You belong. Your service matters. Your voice is needed.”
That representation also matters when shaping veteran policy. Women have unique transition experiences, often juggling identity shifts, underemployment, healthcare gaps, and systems not built with them in mind. Ensuring women veterans are present at decision-making tables isn’t optional—it’s essential.
When women veterans are missing from the media, from veteran councils, from commemorative ceremonies, and from policy boards, it’s not just an oversight. It’s a systemic failure. We cannot build an inclusive veteran policy or services without women veterans shaping them.
Organisations such as Women Veterans Australia exist to elevate the stories and strengthen the voices of those who have served. We advocate for visibility, policy inclusion, peer connection, and tailored support services that recognise women’s experiences during and after service.
But this isn’t just our responsibility—it belongs to every organisation, media outlet, veteran council, policymaker, and decision maker.
If we want to truly honour the legacy of service in this country, we need to tell all the stories, and ensure women veterans are not just remembered, but recognised for their contributions. That recognition must extend into community platforms, employment systems, awards processes, and crucially, government resourcing.
As we collectively rewrite the narrative, we do so for future generations. For the young girl considering a career in Defence. For the woman stepping out of uniform and wondering what’s next. For the daughters and sons of veterans watching their mothers lead.
Women who serve, lead, and inspire aren’t rare—they’re already here, contributing to Defence capability every day, at home and on operations. They’ve simply not been the story that gets told.
Women’s participation in the Navy stands at 24%, Army at 15.3%, and Air Force at 26.6%—across all roles, including combat.
It’s time to see them, hear them, and follow their lead.