Your experiences matter, and your voice is invaluable. CalVet is on a mission to enhance the support and services we provide, and your insights will help us better serve women veterans.  

By completing this survey, you’ll make a lasting impact on the support services we offer all California women veterans, now and for future generations. You’ll help us better connect women veterans with the resources and opportunities and help us create a stronger, more supportive community.

“Your voice is a crucial part of this effort,” said Virginia Wimmer, deputy secretary for CalVet’s Women Veterans Affairs. “By sharing the roadblocks, triumphs and everything in between that you experienced during your military service you’ll be helping us reshape the landscape for California women veterans. Let your experiences be heard, and together, we can build a brighter future for all California women veterans.”

Women veterans in California cover a wide spectrum of demographics and spans multiple generations. As 21^st century economic, health, and social factors continue to evolve, CalVet seeks to better understand the experiences and insights of our diverse community of women veterans.

Wimmer said CalVet wants to transition from the more traditional approach of offering one suite of benefits and services options for the diverse range of women to a proactive approach for developing services that derives from what women veterans say they need.

The survey should take no more than 30 minutes to complete, and all responses are anonymous. CalVet respects your privacy—no personal or identifying information will be shared with advertisers or the public. 

Responders can skip over any questions that make them uncomfortable. The survey covers topics including:

• Specific service experiences.
• The general awareness and understanding of state-based benefits and services.
• Housing, healthcare, childcare, caregiver respite, employment services, and other needs.
• Basic demographic information.

It also delves into issues regarding:

• Service-related disabilities.
• PTSD.
• Military Sexual Trauma (harassment and assault).
• Mental and behavioral health challenges.

Respondents can skip any questions that make them uncomfortable.

Results of the survey will be analyzed and summarized in a report that will be delivered to CalVet in the Summer of 2024. The report will also be delivered to California Legislators and made available to veterans service providers, and governmental organizations in service to veterans. Take the survey at www.calvet.ca.gov/CAWomenVetsSurvey.

---

California is home to nearly 163,000 women who served in our U.S. military. They are veterans, family members, friends, business owners, professionals, community leaders, and advocates. Women veterans served in every major U.S. conflict and in peacetime since our Revolutionary War. For this they are owed a great debt of gratitude. For more information on Women veterans​​ visit www.calvet.ca.gov/calvet-programs/women-veterans.

The survey is funded by a grant from the the California Commission on the Status of Women and Girls. Learn more about the Commission at https://women.ca.gov.

CalVet is also grateful for the support of the Vet Fund Foundation, a nonprofit that works to enrich the lives of California veterans and their families, and active duty servicemembers, and to advocate for veterans’ issues and veteran services in the state. Learn more about the Foundation at https://www.vetfundfoundationca.org.