A VA national screening program found one in three women and one in 50 men experienced sexual trauma while in the military. (Adobe Stock) Listen to the story HERE Mar 12, 2025 By Kathryn Carley As federal cuts to the Department of Veterans Affairs loom, women veterans in Maine are seeking additional state support. Maine lawmakers are considering a bill to provide […]
A VA national screening program found one in three women and one in 50 men experienced sexual trauma while in the military. (Adobe Stock)
Listen to the story HERE
Mar 12, 2025
By Kathryn Carley
As federal cuts to the Department of Veterans Affairs loom, women veterans in Maine are seeking additional state support.
Maine lawmakers are considering a bill to provide funding for staff and a therapist at the Sisters in Arms Center in Augusta, the only center of its kind to help women who have experienced sexual trauma in the military.
Rebecca Cornell du Houx, executive director of the Sisters in Arms Center in Augusta, said harassment and incidents of rape have led to a more than 60% increase in suicide rates among women veterans over the past two decades.
“They really need support and we want to be able to be here for them,” Cornell du Houx emphasized.
Cornell du Houx argued sustainable funding is needed to ensure veterans get the help they deserve, including housing. A Department of Veterans Affairs study of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans found those who experienced military sexual trauma were twice as likely to become homeless. The bill is in the Joint Committee on Veterans and Legal Affairs.
Doug Collins, Secretary of Veterans Affairs, said he aims to cut at least 80,000 jobs at the agency. It is unclear if the Togas VA Center in Augusta will experience additional layoffs.
Cornell du Houx acknowledged while group therapy is available to most veterans, additional state funding would provide more formalized treatment, especially for those coming off active duty.
“We’re going to stay open regardless, because there’s clearly a need,” Cornell du Houx vowed. “We have a house full of women veterans and they need us.”
She added it is important to support veterans who have come forward with their traumatic experiences. Previous legislation backed the creation of two sexual trauma liaisons at community-based organizations in the state but funding never came to fruition. There are more than 10,000 women veterans in Maine.
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