Experiences of women veterans within the private sector: Examining the intersection of gender and veteran status

• Author: Malar Hirudayaraj,Chanty Clay
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1002/hrdq.21367
• Date: 01 December 2019
• Published date: 01 December 2019

QUALITATIVE STUDY

Experiences of women veterans within the private

sector: Examining the intersection of gender

and veteran status

Malar Hirudayaraj

1

| Chanty Clay

2

1

Department of Service Systems, Rochester

Institute of Technology, Rochester, New York

2

Wells Fargo Human Resources, 1 North

Jefferson Avenue, St. Louis, Missouri 63103

Correspondence

Malar Hirudayaraj, Rochester Institute of

Technology, 1, Lomb Memorial Drive,

Rochester, NY 14625.

Email: malar.h.raj@rit.edu

Abstract

This research examines the experiences of women veterans

in the private sector through a critical feminist lens. Specifi-

cally, we investigated how gender and veteran status inter-

sect to influence the experiences and career outcomes of

women veterans within the private sector. Our qualitative

inquiry indicated that the reality of being a veteran in a civil-

ian work environment was problematized by their gender

identity. In the male dominant private sector work environ-

ment with specific expectations of femininity, the military

background of the women led to them to be perceived as

being not “woman enough.”They were not “veteran

enough”either as their identity as a woman prevented them

from being regarded on par with male veterans. The inter-

sectionality of two marginalized identities within the private

sector left women veterans feeling disregarded, under-

utilized, and restricted from growing in their careers. Based

on our findings we advocate for an agentic role for HRD

professionals within organizations whereby they can work

toward changing organizational systems and practices that

obstruct purposeful utilization of the skills and work experi-

ence of women veterans.

KEYWORDS

critical feminism, feminism, gender, intersectionality, qualitative

inquiry, veteran, women veterans

DOI: 10.1002/hrdq.21367

© 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Human Resource Development Quarterly. 2019;30:473–494. wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/hrdq 473

1|INTRODUCTION

Women who serve in the military are strong and heroic but unfortunately, their military contribution and the chal-

lenges they face in civilian work environments go largely unrecognized postmilitary (Disabled American Veterans

[DAV], 2014). Despite ongoing attempts by the federal government and veteran associations in the United States to

understand the reintegration needs of women veterans (DAV, 2014; Shane, 2015), there is a dearth of research on

the experiences of female veterans within the civilian workplace. Moreover, research exploring the experiences of

women veterans within the private sector and the challenges they face in growing in their postmilitary careers is

nonexistent (United States Department of Labor, Veterans Employment and Training Service, 2015). No study spe-

cifically explores how gender intersects with veteran status and influences the experiences of women veterans in

their postmilitary career. Hence, we used intersectionality as a framework to examine how gender and veteran status

intersect within the private sector to impact the experiences of women veterans. In this article, we specifically focus

on women veterans in the United States and therefore, when we use the terms “women veterans”or “female

veterans,”we refer particularly to women veterans in the United States.

1.1 |Veterans in the United States

There were nearly 20.4 million veterans in the United States in 2016 (United States Department of Veterans Affairs

[DVA], 2017). U.S. veterans transitioning into the civilian world (outside the military) after a career in the military face

a set of significant issues that affect their postmilitary lives. These include having to negotiate a sense of identity and

purpose outside the military; coming to terms with starting afresh in the civilian world without the respect of a rank

they held in the military; dealing with trauma and other psychological fall outs such as depression, posttraumatic

stress disorder (PTSD), and substance abuse; physical handicap; and being homeless (Helfant, 2016). U.S. veterans

also face challenges in finding and transitioning into civilian careers. In many instances, they may need to find a new

career path, and often have to reskill or retool themselves by pursuing higher education to finda suitable job. In addi-

tion, veterans need to learn the expectations, culture and norms of the civilian workplace; deal with hierarchy (or the

lack of it) in the new work environment; and re-establish relationships and networks to enter and thrive in an alien

work environment (Helfant, 2016).

1.2 |Female veterans in the United States

The number of women serving in the U.S. military has been on the rise in the last two decades (DVA, 2016), espe-

cially after the September 11 terrorist attacks on the United States. This implies that the number of them exiting the

services is likely to rise in the coming years, with two million women expected to separate by 2020 (DVA, 2016). The

average age of women veterans in the United States is 48 compared to 63 for men and 34.5% of them have bache-

lors or advanced degrees and (DVA, 2018). Accordingly, multitudes of educated women veterans who transition out

of the military are likely to continue their career in civilian work environments and are more likely to have a longer

civilian career runway than their male counterparts. Above all, 60.8% of women veterans in the country are

employed in the private sector as opposed to 34.2% in the government sector (DVA, 2018).

1.2.1 |Postmilitary challenges

Studies that focus on women veterans' transition into postmilitary life in the country show that most women vet-

erans do not feel respected and valued as veterans (Rafique, 2016; Shane, 2015; Thiruvengadam, 2011). PTSD, mili-

tary sexual assault, and physical and psychological effects of combat exposure that women veterans experienced

while in military service also impact their postmilitary employability (Kukla, Rattay, & Salyers, 2015). While not all

474 HIRUDAYARAJ AND CLAY