Introduction: This article presents the results of a scoping review of Canadian and international literature on gender and Veteran reintegration and transition. Methods: The scoping review yielded 178 articles, which were organized thematically according to issues impacting Veterans' transition to civilian life and by their approach to gender. Results: There has been an upswing in gender research on Veterans, with 100 of the 178 articles published between 2000 and 2015. Most of the research articles, largely quantitative studies, are related to health issues ( n=108), discussing mental and physical health outcomes and health services use. There is much less gender-related research being conducted on socio-economic themes ( n=25) of Veterans' homelessness, employment, and education. Military sexual trauma (MST) represents the second most common topic ( n=45) researched in the reviewed literature, and appeared primarily in the context of health research and, to a lesser extent, in relation to socio-economic issues. Discussion: Lack of clarity on the use of the term “Veteran” and lack of explicit engagement with military-to-civilian transition in the reviewed literature pose challenges. Furthermore, the lack of qualitative research, social sciences research, and Canadian research represent major gaps in the literature. We recommend that the impact of military and civilian gender norms and gendered power dynamics be considered in relation to female, male, and LGBTQ Veterans across transition stages and across health and socio-economic dimensions in future research and programming.
LAY SUMMARY The authors conducted a review of existing research on sex, gender, and intersectionality in relation to military-to-civilian transition (MCT). Extensive international studies and government resources, mostly from the United States, provide insight into the potential vulnerabilities and challenges encountered by historically under-represented military members and Veterans during MCT (i.e., by women, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and other sexual or gender minority, Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour military service members and Veterans). The reviewed sources also highlight government initiatives and tailored programs that exist internationally to address diverse Veteran needs. Canadian research and government initiatives on the topic are limited, and this gap needs to be kept in mind. To support equitable transition outcomes for all Veterans, research as well as policies, programs, and supports need to pay attention to sex and gender as well as intersecting factors such as sexuality, race, Indigeneity, and more.
Lay Summary For a long time, it has been assumed that to study military members and Veterans means to study men. Further com-pounding the problem, military and Veteran health research has historically neglected sex and gender issues. This has resulted in systemic biases and gaps in military and Veteran health research that perpetuate existing inequities. How-ever, as this Perspectives piece argues, equity should be a key objective of military and Veteran research. Equity means that the diverse needs of all in the military and Veteran population are considered and addressed. Equity helps ensure fairness and justice in the military and Veteran sector. One of the best ways to advance the goal of equity in research and beyond is to apply an intersectional sex and gender lens. This means, for example, to make visible women’s specific experiences and health outcomes, as well as those of sub-groups of women, men, or gender-diverse military members and Veterans. The author provides tools and considerations for the application of an intersectional sex and gender lens in military, Veteran, and family health research.
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