The Invisible No More Project’s Research Roundtable

October 18, 2026 • Halifax, Nova Scotia

This Veteran co-led and co-created roundtable advanced Recommendation 1 of the 2024 Parliamentary Report on Women Veterans. It brought together women who serve or have served in the Canadian Armed Forces or RCMP, researchers, government partners, emerging scholars, practitioners, allies and international collaborators. Together, we explored how Canada can build a coordinated, long-term research program grounded in the priorities and diverse experiences of women Veterans.

Women remain underrepresented in military, RCMP and Veteran research. Gaps in sex- and gender-informed evidence continue to affect policies, programs, services, prevention, recruitment, retention, operational readiness and accountability. Strengthening this evidence can improve health and well-being for women throughout their service and beyond, while benefiting the broader military, RCMP and Veteran communities.

The roundtable focused on:

  • defining meaningful implementation of government’s response to Recommendation 1;
  • identifying research priorities, knowledge gaps, capacity, and opportunities for collaboration;
  • strengthening the pathway from evidence to policy, practice, and action; and
  • networking across different groups working on women Veterans issues.

You will find a graphic recording below, created by Louise Lyman during our Research Roundtable. It highlights key insights from the discussions of the day:

  • Strong interest exists in building a collaborative, long-term national research program dedicated to women who serve or have served.
  • A clearly defined leading body is needed to coordinate this effort and oversee how Recommendation 1 is put into practice.
  • The voices and needs of women Veterans must remain at the very heart of related discussions and actions.
  • Long-term success depends on stability, ongoing improvements, and high standards as the research program grows.
  • Continued advocacy is essential to secure the political commitment needed to turn these goals into reality.

Reading Materials