How This Nonprofit Is Protecting Servicewomen and Female Vets Every Day

In 2007, a group of female vets were having difficulty getting their Veterans Affairs (VA) claims approved. So they decided to organize, establishing what would become the Service Women’s Action Network (SWAN). Today, SWAN is the leading national organization “focused on supporting service women and women veterans” — which includes working with federal agencies and departments to pass legislation and implement policy, ensuring service members and vets have access to the resources they need, offering a 24/7 emergency assistance hotline, and more. We asked Elisa Cardnell, a Navy vet and SWAN’s president and CEO, a few questions about the nonprofit’s mission. Here’s what she had to say…

Q: The transition from military to civilian life can be particularly overwhelming for women. Why is that?

Cardnell: As a woman, we face an added barrier of being invisible. [For example], you’re parking in a space designed for veterans or you’re walking into a veterans event [and someone will ask], “Did your husband serve?” … [The reaction] isn’t necessarily out of negativity — it’s just people aren’t aware that we could be the veterans, too … You still expect that guy with a buzz cut, whereas we’ve got long hair, a ponytail, [and] fancy nails.

Q: During your time at SWAN, what accomplishments are you most proud of? 

Cardnell: The 2012 lawsuit against the Department of Defense opened [most] roles in the military to women, which was huge — it’s an amazing opportunity for women to see themselves in whatever role they want. [And more recently], we finally got into legislation that the military had to remove sexual assault from the chain of command’s ability to prosecute. [That means], a commander couldn’t sit on a sexual assault case because the alleged perpetrator was their top performer or a “good guy.” We wanted to make sure there was accountability, regardless of the chain of command … and we’re excited that the military has really leaned into holding perpetrators accountable. 

Q: What are some things the average person can do to support female service members and veterans?

Cardnell: Just consider us to be like every other veteran … I didn’t personally serve in combat, but a lot of women have been in combat for a long time, especially in the 21st century. There are women veterans who have had the exact same experience as male veterans. No service is too little to count, whether people were deployed in Iraq or Afghanistan [or] were cooking meals back home. It was all part of that service … [Also, you can support] organizations like ours. I’d be remiss if I didn’t point out that we are a nonprofit [and] rely on donations.