Barbara Francis remembers checking out at Lowe’s when the cashier asked if she had a military discount.
“I said ‘Yeah,’ and they said ‘thank your husband for his service,’” recalled Francis, who is a Navy veteran and President of the Honor HER Foundation.
Although her husband is a veteran, Francis said she’s not afraid to correct someone when they make that assumption. That’s when the “sailor comes out,” she said.
“That’s part of it, you know, women are not seen as men as seen,” she said. “They served this country — so did we.”
Women are the fastest growing group of veterans in the United States. According to the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, women veterans made up 4% of the veteran population. By 2040, they are expected to make up 18%.
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Even as numbers grow, many women veterans don’t feel seen.
Stories like Francis’ are one reason why the nonprofit, Honor HER, hosts “We See You,” an exhibit of portraits featuring women veterans. The project has been ongoing for the last five years with the organization inviting women veterans to sit down for a portrait that tells their story.
“You take the picture how you want to be seen,” said Francis. “We had one women sit with her three daughters who all served in the military. One lady who trains therapeutic ponies and she took a picture with a pony.”
The exhibit will be unveiled on Saturday, June 13 at the Pensacola Vet Center where people can stop by from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
As a veteran herself, Francis sees the exhibit reflecting her service and the service of her “sisters.”
“It's simply recognition, knowing that I'm not standing alone,” she said. “My sisters are not standing alone. We're gonna hold our hands, hold our head up, and we're gonna press on together. We're gonna just be proud of the service.”
The event aims to raise the awareness of female service members, and also the nonprofit. Honor HER was founded in 2016 by Retired Chief Cryptologic Technician Nancy Bullock-Prevot to provide services to women veterans facing homelessness in the Gulf Coast region.
“The reason why she started this nonprofit is because there were two women at the VA they were homeless,” explained Francis. “And the VA had no idea what to do with them. They were like, ‘What do we do?’ We don't expect women to become homeless.”
In 2019, they opened The Faith House, a transitional home to help female veterans get back on their feet. Since then, they have helped “well over 150” women, said Francis. Many of residents are senior citizens living on fixed incomes.
“They can’t afford to live in this economy on the $653 they receive from the government,” she said. “It’s just unfortunate that there’s no affordable housing.”
The nonprofit preserves the mission of Bullock-Prevot , who died in a car accident in 2022. Her legacy continues with Honor HER, as well as the photo exhibit. She was inspired by a similar exhibit she saw in Washington D.C. and brought the idea to Pensacola.
“She contacted the best photographer in the city,” explained Francis. “And they partnered together and they began taking pictures of female veterans and what Nancy's message to them was to let them know that we see you. We know your sacrifices, your service to this country. You're not invisible. You're seen, and you're honored, and that's what Nancy wanted.”
There are gaps in service when it comes to female veterans, said Francis. One major issue is healthcare.
“The healthcare is not even designed for us,” she said. “And I say that with love but out of frustration as well. When it comes down to diagnosing and treating, oftentimes, they tend to say, ‘Oh, its just menopause.’”
Some women who served a few years struggle to call themselves veterans, comparing themselves to career service members.
“There's so many ladies who don't even consider themselves veterans. I do,” said Francis. “(They say) ‘I only did three years, or only five years, or I got out or I got a medical.’ But you're still a veteran. You served, too. You served. And we don't want to minimize their service.”
Regardless of what their service looked like, this exhibit honors that sacrifice.
“I just want them to know that we see them. We honor them,” said Francis. “I don't think women get the acknowledgment that they deserve.”
