These are mine and I earned them

MEMBERS of Australia’s defence forces play a proud part in Anzac Day Services.

Active service personnel and veterans display their medals on their left side, whereas family members representing relatives are required to wear them on the right side.

The By the Left campaign was initiated by Kellie Dadds from the Women Veterans Network Australia to address the public’s view of who veterans are.

Women and young male veterans often find themselves wrongly challenged when wearing their own medals by members of the public who incorrectly assume they are wearing medals belonging to male relatives.

“Most of the time it is an inadvertent comment [to a woman veteran] like ‘it’s great you are wearing your husband’s medals but on the wrong side’,” Ms Dadds said.

“It got to the stage where some women couldn’t confidently wear theirs medals with pride at commemorative services.”

By the Left aims to positively influence the public’s perception of what a veteran is.

Department of Veterans’ Affairs statistics show 15 per cent of the total permanent serving Australian Defence Forces are women.

Therefore, there is a possibility for thousands of women being upset or offended by such comments.

“There are young veterans, particularly young women, who have a chest full of medals from their operational service and people think they are wearing them on the wrong side,” said Rae King,
RAAF ex-servicewoman and Ballarat resident.

The movement targets Anzac Day because it is the main day that veterans are willing to identify as a veteran.

It’s the day to wear their medals to thank their mates for their service and sacrifices.

“It’s not a gender issue it is a veteran’s issue, as no veteran having served their country, should ever be challenged about their medals,” Ms Dadds said.