Women In Warfare

Sexual Discrimination (in today's world)

Much argued about topic today

- Exclusion of women from many combat roles seen by some as a form of sexual discrimination

- physical and mental differences of the two sexes

- effect of the presence of the opposite sex on the battlefield

- traditional view of the male soldier

Situation today is better than it once was

- Most countries recruit women to serve in the military

But only a few of these countries allow women to fill active combat roles

Sexual Discrimination (in today's world) (cont'd)

These countries include Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Norway, Switzerland (this does not cover all of them)

Other nations allow women to serve in certain Combat Arms positions

- Israel + GB allow women to serve in artillery roles (but exclude them from infantry roles)

Sexual Discrimination (in today's world)

Argument 1:

Women are not as strong as men, physically, and so would not make ideal soldiers.

Women, generally, do not have as much strength or stamina as men

The bones of women are not as dense as those of a man, making it easier for them to break bones.

In aviation, the female body is not as adept at handling the increased g-forces experienced by combat pilots

Health issues regarding women prevent women from having roles in submarines

Sexual Discrimination (in today's world)

Argument 2:

Women should not be put in the front lines or in any other position where they could become prisoners of war.

- If women were to be captured, they would most probably be the subjects of sexual molestation and rape

- Two female US soldiers were taken captive in the Gulf War

- one of them was sexually abused

- It is argued that women should not experience the horrors of combat

- (Counter) Women who agree to join the military should be well aware of what they will be facing

Sexual Discrimination (in today's world)

Argument 3:

(Trust within the army) Men are unable to trust women with the physical demands of war.

- Lack of trust in one another limits effectiveness of the army

- Men say that they cannot depend on a woman to get the job done the way they would have been able to trust a man.

- Trust also depends on respect; Men unable to respect a woman cannot trust her.

- All members of the military should be treated equally--an army that sticks together works better

- A standard must be maintained to make every member feel as if he/she is part of one single unit, not separated by gender.

Sexual Discrimination (in today's world)

Argument 4:

Romantic relationships distract and lower respect in the military, and pregnancies reduce readiness.

- Relationships between soldiers make it difficult for members to treat each other equally

- Argument 4 supports argument 3

- Pregnancies make women unable to work.

- women, who already spend (on average) one hour less per month than men at work.

- pregnancy leave is the cause of this

Sexual Discrimination (in today's world)

Argument 5:

Not allowing women to work in the military is not sexual discrimination. The military is just most effective in this way.

- Allowing both men and women to compete for all military occupational specialties is not an equal rights issue, but one of military effectiveness.

- If a country wants to remain the world's most capable and most powerful military power, it needs to have the best person at each job, regardless of their gender

- If a man is more fit for the job than a woman, he should take it. But the opposite also applies.

Fitness Tests (USA Today)

All members of the armed services must pass fitness tests

- Scaled according to age and gender.

- No current tests that specifically measure the physical skills required for each military occupational specialty (MOS)

- The only way to test this is have the soldiers simply go out and perform their task

- Goal- create these gender-blind specific tests that more accurately predict a soldier's success in combat.

Women in the US Military

(Rising Numbers)

Approx. 32,000 women in the U.S. military

- makes up about 13% of the total U.S. Armed Forces

- 1970, only 1.4 percent of the total military comprised of women

- More than tripled to 4.6 percent in 1975, nearly doubled to 8.3 in 1980, rose to 10 in 1985, 11 in 1990, to the current 13 percent

- Women are becoming more accepted in the military?

The "Risk Rule"

- October 1, 1994: the Defense Department issued a policy that rescinded the so-called "risk rule"

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