The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has released an updated mission statement designed to be more inclusive and equitable for all members, the agency announced recently.
The new mission statement reflects "a new VA that is intent on creating an environment where all have equitable opportunities to thrive, including women, LGBTQ+ individuals and underserved populations," the agency states its May 7 news release. The VA is currently more veterans from minority or underserved populations than at any time in its history, according to the news release.
“Approximately 25% of the people we serve are women, and we need to bring that 25% home,” Toni Hightower, acting team leader at VA’s Center for Women Veterans and a veteran herself, said in the release. Hightower is the acting team lead at the Center for Women Veterans, a former VA police officer and a member of the LGBTQ+ community, the release reports, experience that has given her a "well-rounded view toward improving the cultural health of VA," the news release states.
“The life of every veteran matters,” Hightower said in the release. “We don’t get the same equality as men. Women need to stand up and be heard. We count. We matter. We can only do that if we unite and start empowering one another.”
Part of the change is reflected in the amended VA mission statement.
The previous wording, “To fulfill President Lincoln's promise to care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan,’” was updated to state “To fulfill President Lincoln’s promise to care for those who have served in our nation’s military and for their families, caregivers, and survivors.”
Transgender men and women are three times as likely to feel they can't talk about their personal lives outside of work and are twice as likely to hear sexist remarks about persons of their gender, the release reports. The emphasis of VA's updated mission statement is its dedication to helping all heroes who have served our nation, regardless of their race, gender, ethnicity, background, sexual orientation, religion, or other characteristics.
Providing a space for all Veterans who identify as female and educating others at the VA about the significance of equitable care are two ways to empower all those who have served, according to the release. To promote inclusion, Hightower has given LGBTQ+ webinars with an emphasis on understanding pronoun usage to demonstrate respect and lessen the frequency of harassment occurrences, as well as learning more about transgender veterans, according to the release.
“We have to empower people to learn,” Hightower said in the release. “It’s my thought that I can plant the seed for change. I want people outside of my box to grow to think different. If we take time to understand each other, we can really make VA a place of belonging for all Veterans and employees.”