Research
SWAN facilitates progress through collaborating on research and sharing relevant DoD research. Since 2016, SWAN has conducted original research on a variety of topics. Findings from the research is used to highlight the needs of service women and women veterans. Our research and conclusions from DoD research has been used to influence policy and to legislate change.
Reproductive Health
Center for Reproductive Rights: Serving Those Who Serve? Access to IVF for Servicemembers and Veterans (2026)
“Servicemembers and veterans appear to face high rates of infertility. Unfortunately, limited information, restrictive laws and policies, high cost, and other barriers put the infertility care they need, out of reach for many.
Combat Ground Integration
Report on SAS-137 Research Symposium on Integration of Women Into Ground Combat Units
In 2019, SWAN CEO Ellen Haring, served as a technical evaluator during the Integration of Women into Combat Units Research Symposium. Her report summarizes the main findings from the symposium.
DOD Report on SAPRO
Annual Report on Sexual Harassment and Violence at the Military Service Academies, Fiscal Year 2025
“Estimated rates of unwanted sexual contact and sexual harassment declined, and the overall trend in prevalence is moving in the right direction. But both caution against interpreting those improvements as proof that the current DoD leadership has solved the problem.” — SWAN Policy Director
Women in the Military
Women in the Military: Where They Stand (10th Edition; 2019)
“In 2019, SWAN published the tenth edition of “Women in the Military: Where They Stand.” The booklet provides information, statistics, and status updates on women in the U.S. military. It is our most-cited original work.
Mental Health
SWAN 2017 Report Mental Wellness: Bridging the Gap Between Research and Solutions
“SWAN’s 2017 Annual Summit focus was: “Mental Wellness: Bridging the Gap Between Research and Solutions.” The Summit examined mental wellness along the continuum of active duty to veteran status. A subsequent report was published, “Mental Wellness Needs: Community Driven Solutions”. The report analyzes data from a national survey of about 1,300 service women and women veterans, and from focus groups of military women facilitated by an advisory committee of ten researchers and experts from universities across the country, who gathered in D.C. in November during SWAN’s second annual summit. See the full report below, as well as accompanying materials and data gathered during the Summit.