Women's life after the military: Women Veterans' transition from military to civilian life and implications for gender identity

Studies on women Veterans in the UK seem to be far and few in between in the field. The lived experiences of these women need to be told, and this research aims to fill this gap, bringing these seemingly forgotten voices into view. With a focus on re-assimilation and re-integration, it aims to understand how military identities combine with the Veteran’s own sense of self, and the impact it has upon their return home. The driving force of this research is to hear these experiences directly from the women themselves.
This will be analysed through the lens of Gender Performativity and Feminine Masculinity. These concepts from Queer Theory will hopefully shed light on what women Veteran’s experience when reintegrating into Western societal norms.

The aims of this study are to provide a space where the lived experience of women Veterans of the British Armed Forces can be heard, to gain insight into the experience of re-assimilation and re-integration of women Veterans through first-person accounts, and to discover if a range of methods, including a creative method, will help these women discuss their experiences.

• How do women Veterans make sense of their daily lives as civilians?
• Where does the line between military and civilian life exist?
• What kind of support do they receive, if any?
• What effects has the military gendering had on the gender performance of women Veterans?
• What kind of experiences did women have in the military regarding sexuality and gender?
• Do these women feel their identity has changed since serving with the British Armed Forces?

Women Veterans of the British Armed Forces of any age in the UK. Target number is 30 individuals.