‘Planning in the military must take account of the whole family and not simply prioritise the Serving person when decisions taken have considerable implications for spouses/partners and their children. Given the changing expectations of military spouses and partners, support for the wellbeing of non-serving partners should extend to taking measures to protect and enhance their… Continue reading Developing a more holistic approach
Category: Opportunities
A lack of access or awareness of SPO appropriate and available jobs and training.
Limited choice or control
‘A prominent view among spouses was that accompanied postings limited their ability to have choice and control over their career or employment. As a consequence, spouses were unable to plan ‘career paths’; spouses who wanted to work described this as negatively affecting job satisfaction and generating resentment.’In some cases, this had serious implications for the… Continue reading Limited choice or control
Opportunities made
‘Not all participants resisted taking on the identity of a military wife, with some able to use this identity to find employment and volunteering opportunities within the military community.’In doing so, spouses were able to mitigate the negative effects of accompanied postings on their own employment and well-being and gain a sense of connection, purpose… Continue reading Opportunities made
Overqualified
“I will put my hand to any work going but I have been to places that even working on checkouts they wouldn’t employ me because I was overqualified.”(RAF non-serving partner) Living in our ShoesReport of a review commissioned by the Ministry of Defence | June 2020
Dependent? Really?
‘Many spouses described how their relationship with their husband led them to be ascribed the identity of a ‘military wife’ or dependent within the community.’By establishing connections and relationships with civilians, spouses were able to reassert their independence and resist the identities imposed on them through their relationship with their husband within their working environment:”…… Continue reading Dependent? Really?