UK launches women veterans forum and oral history
Today the UK launched the first government women veterans forum and an oral history project, backed by up to £350,000 and set within a refreshed Veterans Strategy published last week, according to the Ministry of Defence and the Office for Veterans’ Affairs.
The plans were unveiled at the Royal Hospital Chelsea by Minister for Veterans and People Louise Sandher‑Jones MP, a former Intelligence Corps officer with deployments in the UK, Germany and Afghanistan, on 19 November 2025.
In practice, the forum is designed to give women veterans a direct route to raise issues on housing, health and wellbeing, employment and community support, informing departments about what is and isn’t working.
The oral history project will record life before, during and after service and aims to raise public recognition of the UK’s estimated 270,000 female veterans, about 13% of the veteran community.
Let’s use this as a media‑literacy moment. Government press releases tell us what’s planned; they don’t guarantee delivery. As we read the MOD and OVA announcement, we should ask what the timetable is, who sits on the forum, how members are chosen and how success will be measured.
For classrooms, oral history is a primary source. You can compare interviews with official records to see where personal experience confirms or challenges policy. Invite students to track themes-access to GP care, transition to civilian work, childcare, safe housing-and discuss how different identities shape needs.
History shows why this focus matters. The Women’s Royal Naval Service (the Wrens) is a reminder that service can be celebrated in wartime yet sidelined afterwards. In the government release, a former Wren recalls being told to “go back to the kitchen” after the war-many peers were forgotten.
Alongside the forum, the Office for Veterans’ Affairs points to a new toolkit to help charities and health services tailor support for women, plus funded photography, short films and a theatre production that can spark community learning. Ask local providers how they will use these tools.
What this means for us as citizens: stories gathered through the oral history work can shape better services only if departments listen and change budgets, commissioning and training. After the first forum meetings, we should expect clear summaries, named actions and dates for review.
If you teach PSHE, history or citizenship, try a mini‑project. Interview a local woman who served-safely and with consent-compare it with a published testimony, then write a short brief for your council on improving access to housing or employment support. Sharing findings builds civic skills and empathy.