Australia in 2026 bears little resemblance to Australia in 1950. Most women now work, lead, earn, parent, care and contribute in ways that would have been unimaginable when many of our veteran family policies were first written. Yet those policies still assume a world where women are dependants, secondary actors, or invisible altogether. 

Defence and veteran partners are still predominantly women. They are the ones who move repeatedly to support service, who absorb career disruption, who manage households through absence, injury and transition, and who carry the emotional and practical weight of service long after uniforms are hung up. What was once framed as “supporting the serviceman” has become a system that relies on women’s unpaid labour for it to function. They do this as contributors in their own right, not as an extension of someone else’s role. Our support system does not recognise that reality. 

International Women’s Day is about calling out systems that no longer reflect how women live. For defence and veteran families, including widows of veterans, the gap between lived experience and policy design is stark. Despite decades of social, economic and workforce change, family policy in the veteran system has barely moved. The result is a framework that recognises women only when crisis strikes, or when loss occurs, rather than acknowledging the cumulative impact of service over time. 

This is an essential question of relevance. When systems fail to keep pace, responsibility shifts from institutions to individuals, turning structural gaps into personal sacrifice, most often carried by women. 

Change begins by listening to women who live this reality every day. It means modernising policies so they reflect contemporary families, shared economic responsibility, and the real impact of service on partners and children. It means recognising that supporting defence families is not a by product of veteran care, but a policy responsibility in its own right. 

Get involved

• Keep up to date with our Advocacy work by subscribing to our Newsletter.
• Share your experience with us – email to guild@fov.org.au.
• Support our work here. 

The post Modern women, outdated systems: living with policies that lag behind first appeared on Families of Veterans Guild.

On International Women’s Day, we take a moment to reflect on the incredible achievements and resilience of women throughout history. One such inspiring story is that of Jessie Vasey CBE OBE and the Australian War Widows Guild, an organisation that has supported and empowered war widows for over 79 years.

The legacy of Jessie Vasey

Jessie Vasey CBE OBE was a woman who, with many others, stood against gender bias and created a legacy for this generation of women to carry forward. She championed progress for an inspirational and resilient group of women in Australia. Our organisation has existed for over 79 years this year. Over this time, we have continued to support women impacted by war and grown to support those beyond the first definition of a war widow.

The story of the Guild is a powerful story of women helping women.

The impact of the world wars on war widows

Immediately after World War II, many war widows were left adrift, often voiceless and suffering economic hardship. Jessie Vasey established the War Widows Guild in 1945 with the mission to promote and protect the interests of war widows in Australia.

Empowering and supporting war widows

Jessie understood the value of a pressure group when lobbying the government. She believed that if war widows were to improve their economic status, they needed to be united. The Guild brought companionship and friendship to many lonely war widows, helping them navigate grief and loss.

Creating a community of support

The social clubs established by Jessie became a lifeline for war widows. These clubs provided a sense of belonging and sisterhood, dispelling loneliness and fostering an environment of mutual support. War widow clubs were established all over regional and country NSW and beyond.

Standing up for war widows’ rights

The War Widows Organisation fought for a group of women who were not adequately supported by the government. They challenged social norms that dictated grieving should be done behind closed doors and advocated for the continuation of financial support for women and children left behind by wars.

A legacy of strength and resilience

Our President, Queen Dunbar, described her early days as a war widow, emphasising the support and camaraderie she received from other war widows. This unspoken understanding and deep sense of belonging have been instrumental in helping war widows navigate their loss.

Inspiring future generations

Jessie Vasey’s tenacity and legacy continue to inspire us today. Our organisation stands as one of Australia’s most inspirational, empowering, and forward-thinking organisations. It is a place where we can learn from the generations of women who came before us, preserving and honouring their legacy.

Supporting veteran families

Our CEO Renee Wilson shared her experience of caring for her veteran, highlighting the importance of the support provided by war widows she has met through the Guild. Our Board Chair, Tricia Hobson, also praised the remarkable achievements of these women, emphasising their extraordinary resilience and strength.

International Women’s Day 2025

On 8 March 2025, for International Women’s Day, we will reflect on the achievements of the women who came before us. We will celebrate their stories, continue making progress, and work towards creating change for women around the world.

Conclusion

Let’s celebrate each other, our common achievements, and the stories of all the women on whose shoulders we stand today. To the women before us: we thank you. May we continue the work you have done, stand up against gender bias, and keep the legacy of women like Jessie Vasey alive.

The post Celebrating the legacy of war widows on International Women’s Day first appeared on Families of Veterans Guild.

Our story is one of women helping women. What better way to celebrate International Women’s Day 2021 than to pay tribute to some of the women who have carried AWW on their shoulders?

Recently we celebrated just some of the amazing women in our AWW NSW community.

We began the week with a tribute to our founder Jessie Vasey. Jessie passionately represented the needs of women affected by war and changed the course of history. Her vision of women helping women is just as important today as it was 75 years ago. Thank you to Jessie Vasey and all those who have followed.

We also celebrated some long standing and contemporary AWW NSW members and Board Directors.

Bree Till lost her husband JT during the Afghanistan war. With two children already, and one on the way, Bree faced huge uncertainty, but despite her struggles has gone on to do truly inspirational things today. Bree is now an advocate for war widows everywhere and has campaigned to end the stigma surrounding the mental health of veterans and veterans’ families. She also acts as a Community and Peer Advisor for Open Arms, who provide counselling for veterans and their families. In these ways, Bree channels her energies into helping those who suffered a similar experience to her own.

At 95 years of age, Ruby Riley has been a AWW NSW member for the last 34 years and was one of our longest serving volunteers. Ruby recently celebrated 20 years as Club Coordinator for the War Widows in Taree.

Queen Dunbar understands the challenges many women face today and is putting her efforts back into empowering our community. Queen reaches out to other women affected by more recent conflicts, so they too can be surrounded by the support of our organisation. Queen has been a member for the last 3 years and is a recent addition to our Board. Wasting no time, Queen has already devoted a significant amount of her time giving back to her community representing us at the National Remembrance Day National Ceremony last year. Queen is a passionate advocate for women connected to Defence service and their children. We are grateful to have women like Queen with us on our journey toward a new future for Australian War Widows NSW.

Outside our organisation, Tricia Hobson is one of Australia’s top litigation lawyers at the law firm Norton Rose Fulbright, where she served as the firm’s first female Global Chairman in 2018. Tricia completed her term with strong and decisive leadership that was admired by so many. Tricia is passionate about diversity and inclusion, and works tirelessly to fight discrimination so people from all kinds of backgrounds have the capacity to do amazing things, like her. We are privileged to have someone like Tricia on our board helping us build our future.

We also thank Meg Green for the amazing work she has done as both a member and President of Australian War Widows. Meg has an incredible history of helping others. As a practicing nurse for most of her life, Meg joined the War Widows following the death of her husband in 2008. Her mother Paulette had also been a member of the Guild since 1985 and encouraged her to join. With endless passion, drive and enthusiasm, Meg has gone on to hold many roles within the Australian War Widows, including Club Coordinator, Member Director and State and National President. Meg has given a huge amount back to our community, and in recognition of her work she was awarded an AM in the 2019 Queens Birthday Honours List.

To keep up to date with AWW NSW news, events and information, follow us on socials at Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn.

The post We rise by lifting others first appeared on Families of Veterans Guild.