UPDATED AS OF MARCH 31, 2025
OPNAV N172A - Office of Women's Policy (OWP)
The Office of Women's Policy (OWP) prioritizes resilience and readiness by reviewing, revising, and implementing guidance focused on parenthood, pregnancy, and reproductive care that is in alignment with higher authority. For example, the office most recently coordinated the release of supplemental guidance regarding travel for non-covered assisted reproductive technology, which impacts every Sailor - both men and women - who require additional medical resources to support family planning.
OWP, located in OPNAV N1's Navy Culture and Force Resilience Office and within the Advancing Navy Culture branch, prioritizes resilience and readiness by ensuring that all Sailors are battle ready and mission focused. OWP communicates the concerns and challenges Sailors encounter to leadership, with the goal of focusing on lethality, meritocracy, accountability, standards, and readiness. The office operates across four lines of effort to support our warfighters:
1. Policy Development & Alignment - Ensure current policies are aligned with higher authority guidance, revise and develop policies as necessary to support the Navy's mission to win the Nation's wars.
2. Program Management & Development - Develop programs and mechanisms within the Navy Enterprise to obtain policy feedback and data, to ensure the Navy maintains a lethal fighting force.
3. Policy & Program Analysis & Assessments - Analyze feedback to determine if policies impacting our warfighters are implemented, effective, and focused on meritocracy, accountability, standards, and readiness. These policies must also ensure that the most qualified individuals are placed in positions of responsibility based solely on merit. Feedback is obtained through the Navy Culture Action Group, participation in Fleet conferences and symposiums, surveys, listening sessions, and social media.
4. Strategic Communications - Provide Navy-wide guidance regarding policies, programs, and initiatives to individual Sailors and commands via social media, print media, and direct communications.
Questions?
Contact us: Navy Office of Women's Policy
Health and Readiness
As a Warfighter it is critical to maintain your health, fitness, and wellbeing to optimize mission readiness. Health concerns may affect some Sailors differently than others, regardless of age or ethnicity. When Sailors are aware of specific health concerns, they can devise a plan to take better care of themselves.
General Health Resources:
Pregnancy, Postpartum, and Parenthood
Pregnancy is a natural event that can occur in the lives of Sailors. Pregnant Sailors are fully participating members of our Navy team and deserve every opportunity to continue their careers and advancement progression while serving our country.
OPNAVINST 6000.1D " Navy Guidelines Concerning Parenthood & Pregnancy" provides the Navy's regulations, guidelines, and requirements concerning family planning, reproductive health care, pregnancy, postpartum, and parenthood.
N172 Point of Contact:
Email: Navy_ParenthoodandPregnancy
Resources for Leadership
For every Sailor - mind, body, and spirit wellness matters - some Sailor's health needs are different from those of others. When commands are aware of specific health concerns, they can devise a plan to take better care of their Sailors and increase readiness for the entire command. The Women's Health: A Guide for Navy and Marine Corps Leadership and the Navy Medicine Women's Health Website are resources that can help leaders understand how to meet the healthcare needs of Sailors.
N172 Point of Contact
Email: Navy_OfficeofWomensPolicy
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