WASHINGTON (AP) — A panel of experts on veterans’ issues is meeting in Washington to discuss the distinct challenges faced by returning female veterans.

The nonprofit Volunteers of America organization is sponsoring Tuesday’s discussion at the National Press Club. The group is the nation’s largest provider of services to homeless veterans.

Executive Vice President Jonathan Sherin, the group’s chief medical officer, says female veterans face greater pressures than returning male veterans because they often have children to care for, and they’re less likely to seek help.

The group says 10 percent of the veterans it serves are women. The organization says the shelters and transitional housing it has historically provided aren’t always suitable for women, especially those with children.

The group’s work is supported by the Home Depot Foundation.

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