Invisible no more
Groundbreaking report unveils challenges, solutions for Canadian women veterans
'Drugged, kidnapped, and gang raped'
Stephanie Hayward, a veteran of the Canadian Armed Forces, shared her harrowing story in the report. She was going through basic training in Saint-Jean, Que., in 2009, when she was “drugged, kidnapped, and gang-raped” while attending mandatory training.
“The last thing I remember is dozing off in the class after our lunch break in the cafeteria, and waking in complete fear in an unknown location, with motel staff waking me. I was completely naked, with no identification, covered in blood and bruises, and I couldn’t walk.”
The crime was covered up, and she watched the “criminals” climb the military ranks. She was forced into poverty and suffered medically untreated conditions for 11 years. For a time, Hayward was homeless.
She had severe complications and pain from untreated military injuries in both her pregnancies, and said “both of my children have medical conditions due to complications in labour due to military injuries.”
She applied four times to Veterans Affairs and was finally approved for the rehabilitation program 11 years after the date of her release. Hayward started with the OSI Clinic at Deer Lodge in Winnipeg in November 2020.
"I started PTSD therapy and it truly saved my Life."
- Stephanie Hayward
Historical Portrayals of Military Life
The historical portrayal of military life as masculine and the late opening of all military professions to women in the 1980s contribute to this perception of women feeling invisible, the report found. Recruitment campaigns have struggled to increase the proportion of women in the military.
16% – 19%
Percentage of women in the Canadian Armed Forces
25%
Ottawa’s target for percentage of women.
