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Gender roles in the military
Gender roles in the military
Militarism women in WWII
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Throughout the years there has been an ideas where women shouldn’t fight alongside men. There’s has many discussions over this idea. Even though women have been part of the war effort since the Revolutionary War. There has been American Women serving in the U.S Military for hundreds of years. Women have also been involved in combat during the Revolutionary, Civils, and Mexican Wars. The first females U.S Soldiers that were involved in combat, had disguised themselves as men to get enlisted. Women deserve a chance to serve, they have proven themselves just as well as men have, they should be allowed to serve based on their abilities and not their genders, and also because all women deserve equal opportunities just like men.
According to Mark Evans, women have proven themselves just as capable as men. For an example there was a BBC Special Forces challenge. This is where a 6-week challenge with the former Coldstream Guards Captain Mark Evans. This challenge was with 29 of Britain’s fittest men and women. They were pushed mentally and physically by a battle-hardened veterans from the world’s toughest special forces. Even when all of the contestants were treated equally, they were amazed that two out of the six remaining contestants were women. This says that women can be just as capable as men.
According to the “New York Times”, women
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Just because of the idea of women giving birth and have a naturally nurturing disposition they don't want women. Also that a death of a women in battle could leave young children motherless, or as an orphan. These shouldn’t be a reason for women not to serve. Just because women are capable of getting pregnant that shouldn't stop them. That shouldn't stop from all women to serve. All women should have an opportunity to serve. Whatever women choose they should already be caution of what they are doing and how it's going to affect themselves or their
“It is not probable that the greater strength of man was primarily acquired through the inherited effects of his having worked harder than woman for his own subsistence and that of his family; for the women in all barbarous nations are compelled to work at least as hard as the men” (234). Men may usually be stronger than women but it’s not necessarily always true. Women could be just as strong as men if the cultural and beauty standards were different and if it was what women desired. This idea has evolved from social factors being implemented more than evolution or biology.
The military is trying to find new ways to recognize the fact that women now fight in the country’s wars. In 2011 the Military Leadership Diversity Commission recommended that the Department of Defense remove all combat restrictions on women. Although many jobs have been opened for women in the military, there is still 7.3 percent of jobs that are closed to them. On February 9, 2012, George Little announced that the Department of Defense would continue to reduce the restrictions that were put on women’s roles. The argument that “women are not physically fit for combat” is the most common and well-researched justification for their exclusion from fighting units. It has been proven if women go through proper training and necessary adaptations, they can complete the same physical tasks as any man. Though there seem to be many reasons from the exclusion of women in the military, the main ones have appeared to be that they do not have the strength to go through combat, would be a distraction to the men, and that they would interrupt male bonding and group
In the Upfront Magazine Article “Women Warriors”, author Rebecca Zissou told the story of two women who recently graduated the Army’s Ranger School, but whether they would be able to serve alongside their fellow male graduates was unknown. Zissou also delved into the issue of whether or not women should be allowed to serve in combat positions. However, I believe that women should be allowed to serve in combat positions in the U.S. armed forces.
In the military physical strength and endurance is a major element to nearly every task. Having endurance and sustainable strength is very vital in many instances but most importantly in the combat zone. Men are physically stronger and can tolerate more than women naturally. Hypothetically if there was a situation where a troop was injured and needed to be carried out of a fighting zone it would make more sense for a man to carry the troop out because they can tolerate the weight more easily then a woman. Women are built to have children, and while they are capable of heavy lifting and have remarkable endurance, it is a different level than men. Looking back men have always been hunters, gatherers, ultimately being the ones who do all the physical work. After decades of these physical life styles that men have endured and the homemaker life style women have come to obtain it is clear that the order of nature has spoken. The normality of women being the only ones that can produce children and men gain strength more easil...
excluded from a number of jobs for no other reason than stereotyping, ideas of the inferiority of women in combat, and the chauvinistic thought of if their not there it wont happen. Remember none of the reason that I listed above would be sufficient for a government employer to legally close jobs to women so why is it different in our Armed Service?
Should women serve in combat positions? The Combat Exclusion Law has dealt with this question since the 1940’s. As time continues, the question remains. The military has increased the percentage of females allowed to be enlisted and commissioned in the services as well as increasing the positions allotted to them (Matthews, Ender, Laurence, & Rohall, 2009). Keenan posits “women have served with distinction in … the Revolutionary War…as volunteer nurses and were only occasionally in the direct line of fire…four nurses evacuating 42 patients while the Germans bombed their field hospital…” (the DoD Combat Exclusion Policy) pg. 21.
Some people say that women should be in the draft because nowadays, men and women should be considered equal. With the advancement of equality in the American society, these people argue that the armed forces should not be excluded from the growing new reputation America is trying to get. Hence, those who support women being apart of the draft argue this point. According to “Update: Women in the Military”, women have become way more involved in the army (1). From this, supporters of women joining the draft argue that their involvement in the draft should also reflect on their increasing involvement in the army. However, those who are opposed women being apart of the draft argue that equality within men and women is an unrealistic mindset. This is proven in the New York Times with Catherine Rampell’s when she writes “Women earn 92.2 cents on the dollar of what men earn” (1). This is a statistic from 2011 that shows people that complete equality between men and women has still not fully been reached. Furthermore, those opposed women and the draft argue that if America has not completely reached full equality within the genders, then neither should the army. Both of these articles bring up good points about why women should either be in the draft or not in the draft.
There was a time when women were unable to enlist and thought of as one who maintains her home and keeps her husband happy. That has changed along with the growth of our nation. Women are now able to join the military as well as serving in jobs of combat. Our servicewomen have gone through plenty and fought for where they are within our military ranks. So why are they feeling punished for being a female in the military?
Historically, women’s participation in combat roles was limited or hidden, with the exception of a few individuals. Although women had fought unofficially in the U.S army as far back as the Revolutionary War, which they usually disguised themselves as men in order to avoid the rules that excluded them. The gender war and integration in the military has always faced the question of social acceptance, were as society can accept how women will be treated and respected in the military. Throughout the history of the military, our leadership has always sought ways of how to integrate without upsetting the general public to believing that women are capable and created equal as any man.
Understanding the diversity in the U.S. Military is easiest if the numbers are looked at according to this nation’s population. American women account for fifty-one percent of the U.S. population and yet they only make up about sixteen percent of our uniformed officers throughout each branch of the military. The numbers are even fewer when looking at the number of women who have made a general officer rank. In the Army, only four percent of the generals are female, Navy admirals are seven percent, Air Force numbers are only nine percent, and the lowest number is the Marine Corps with three percent. (Sagalyn, 2011). The graph below shows the disparity in the numbers from each branch of the military and covers both active and reserve officers.
Gender integration in the military has always faced the question of social acceptance, whether society can accept how women will be treated and respected in the military. Throughout the history of the military, our leadership has always sought ways in how to integrate without upsetting the general public if our females were captured as prisoners of war, raped, discriminated or even blown up in combat. My paper will discuss three situations pertaining to the first female submariner, fighter pilot and infantry graduate. I will also discuss some of the arguments that male military leaders and lawmakers opposed the integration of women: lack of strength, endurance, and the disruption of unit cohesion. I will end this paper with my personnel experience as a female NCO responsible for other female subordinates within my command and share some of their experiences while deployed in combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Across the history, women Suffer from luck of their right. Culture and civilization was not respect women and put them in the lower layer in their social pyramid. Kill them were they alive, while other give them a life with a lot of misery and obstacle, which is the same thing or killing them better than these life . At the few previous centuries, the world growth and become more opening. people understanding that they are needing women in a lot of job outside their home as men. Sadly, when we came to combat sector, we stop thinking logically. It is men major one hundred percent . If we look to the book (1001 things everyone should know about women's history) which written by Constance Jones (2000) we can find that only 88013 women among history had the ability to take part in military by give a variety of services. Some country actually these day try to make it happen. For instance the first country was allowed women in military was Norway around 1985. Then, it followed by thirteen other countries. It still small percentage compared with the world. It is the right of women to join army and take part in combat, because they are capable as men in adapting with situation. Also, they have equally amount in cerebration and they have the right to decide their own destiny.
Many agree, that in certain military occupations, women can function at the same level as men. The controversy about having women fighting with men in wars is the fact that they have a different physical structure, deal with stress and emotions differently , are more susceptible to injury and just don't have the killer instinct necessary to get the job done. Although the last statement might appear to be a stereotype, most women would not be capable of supporting the demanding rigors of war-like situations. It would be a great mistake to allow women in these stressful and dangerous situations.
Should women be allowed in the military? My answer was at first a resounding “no.” However, once I started my research, my opinion changed. In 1948, Congress passed the combat exclusion law that prohibited women in the Air Force, Marines, and Navy to hold combat positions; however, the Army can assign these duties as they see fit (Schroeder). Some people assume that Americans are not ready to see a woman wounded or killed in war; however, there are female police officers that are wounded or killed daily (Schroeder). How can we rationalize that a woman has the right to die protecting our local communities but not our country? If a person chooses to be in a combat field, and can pass the physical demands required, gender should not be an issue. The arguments of physical differences and cohesion among the troops are valid arguments but not substantial enough to prevent women from serving in frontline combat roles within the military.
The idea of women being in the military has been debated tons of times and the result was, women can be in the military. But there is a catch, women cannot participate in missions. There are some serious reasons why letting women in missions are dangerous.