LANSING, Mich. - Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has officially proclaimed June 12, 2025, as
Women Veterans Recognition Day in Michigan. The goal of Women Veterans Recognition Day is to honor the courageous women who have served our nation and highlight the critical contributions they have made throughout history. Nationally, women veterans are the fastest growing veteran population and the Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency (MVAA) acknowledges the unique challenges they face, particularly when it comes to their identification as a veteran.
"Michigan is home to more than 44,000 women veterans, making up 8.5% of veterans in the state, says Andrea Norton, MVAA's women veterans and underserved populations coordinator. "Many women don't identify as veterans or are mistaken for veteran's spouse. We need to share the stories' of women veterans and service members to preserve their unique history."
MVAA will host the fourth annual
Women Veterans Conference Oct. 16-18, in Grand Rapids. This premier event for women veterans is dedicated to honoring their service, fostering meaningful connections and empowering them for their future. Registration for the 2025 Women Veterans Conference will open in July.
MVAA encourages women veterans and service members to share their story of service with the Military Women's Memorial. The Military Women's Memorial's
Make HERstory database, offers a chance for women veterans and service members to record and protect the stories that may otherwise be lost over time. The database currently hold more than 300,000 military women's stories, but three million have served in or with the Armed Forces since the American Revolution.
On June 12, 1948, President Harry Truman signed into law the Women's Armed Services Integration Act, which enabled women to serve as full and equal members of the U.S. Armed Forces, opening doors to countless opportunities and breaking down barriers for future generations of women in the military.
On June 12, 2023, the 75th anniversary of women being allowed to serve as equal members of the Armed Forces, Gov. Whitmer
signed legislation making Women Veterans Recognition Day in Michigan permanent.
Women have supported and participated in U.S. military conflicts since the American Revolution, when some women disguised themselves as men to serve in combat. Their roles expanded in World War I when the U.S. Army Nurse Corps was established, allowing women to serve as nurses during wartime. Women went on to work as nurses, clerks, typists and other support positions. It wasn't until the late 1970s and early 1980s that women were formally granted veteran status, opening doors for them to take advantage of the federal and state benefits they earned for their service.
Today, women serve in various combat operations with increasing opportunities and expanded roles in various branches of the military from soldiers on the ground to high-ranking officers and leaders.
About MVAA
The MVAA is the central coordinating agency, providing support, care, advocacy and service to veterans and their families. As a state agency, the MVAA works to identify and break down barriers veterans face in employment, education, health care and quality of life, to make Michigan a great place for veterans and their families to call home. More information about the MVAA is available at
Michigan.gov/MVAA.
If you're a veteran or family member, call 1-800-MICH-VET (1-800-642-4838) to get connected to your earned benefits. If you're a veteran in crisis, call 988 and press 1 to get help from the Veterans Crisis Line
