Women in the Military - Research Paper Example

?Introduction Women have participated in the United s forces from the very beginning. However their contribution in the services is not well documented in the early days. Therefore it is difficult to assess their exact role and nature of participation in the war. However renowned historian Kerbed have mentioned that served in various capacities that did not involve combat duties like espionage, nurses and other feminine chores. However these people did not have any rank. Though they served the duties of army and played an integral part for the forces they were not considered soldiers or significant section of the military. During the Civil wars there apart from espionage and duties some women also disguised as men took part in the struggle. (Devilibiss, 1) History of Participation of Women The participation of women in military has a long history. The folklore tells the story of Molly Pitcher who served in the Continental Army. But the women in military services first began in 1901 and 1908 when they were employed in the Army and Navy Nurse Corps. But in both the forces their roles were restricted to nursing. The nurses were sent along with the troops wherever required. However they were regarded mainly as an auxiliary force and never took part in actual warfare. The nurses in the initial days had no uniform or ranks and they were never considered as soldiers. During World War I for the first time women were employed in non-nursing profession. However these services were mainly as clerks, typists, and telephone operators. There was no risk involved and the services were typically perceived as feminine. Around 49,000 women served during this time. After the war they were returned to the normal civilian life. More women participation was seen during the World War II all around the world including Soviet Union, Great Britain and America. In the American forces the participation was restricted to only 2.3% only. Several new units like the WASP (Women’s Air Service Pilot), WAVES (Women Accepted for Voluntary Emergency Service), and WAAC (Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps) was formed. But their roles and promotions were restricted till 1967. The first rights to equal opportunities came with the Public Law 90-130 during the late seventies. In 1980 the Air Force Academy class saw for the first time students from both sexes in a class (Mitchell, 1-35). Since them the participation of the women has come a long way with the report of Military Leadership Diversity Council that has recommended the participation of women in combat in the United States Army. (Burgoyne). Women and War: Sociological Aspect Many discussions have been conducted about women’s participation in war and peace. One of the significant theories in this respect is the Feminist Peace and Conflict Theory. This theory has considered the life and the encounters of women in warfare and postulated various theories. IL the 1980s the scholars have argued that traditionally the women are advocates of peace while the men make wars. The underlying logic is that the men are more aggressive than women. Therefore they are the main proponents of war. Mary Daly and the workers of the Ecofeminist movement have proposed such thoughts. The structuralists have argued that the gendered bias of profession finds their resonance in the masculine perception of military and nation state. Many have argued that the contribution of women in defense have been conveniently omitted due to the patriarchal nature of historiography. The existentialist theorists have given a different argument. According to them the women in a patriarchal society are conceived as the other due to the construction of the gender concept based on existence. Therefore their participation in all forms of decision making and military was restricted. However the role of women as warriors in the struggles of Nicaragua and Vietnam changes the idea of women as the advocators of pacifist movements. New lights were shed on the perception of gender based on the aggressiveness and submissiveness. The warrior goddesses and the female warriors in the tales of Homer or the martial queens and princesses, Dahomian Amazonian culture gives us an insight into the perception of the society of women as soldiers. However even in the Feminist Peace and Conflict Theory that makes a detailed study of women in military from a sociological aspect tends to portray the participation of women in fighting as exceptions. The theory however calls for equal opportunities for men and women in military. They have called for an end to the perception of military as masculine. They have also argued that as equal citizens there is a right of women to serve in the military. History of women’s struggle in various nationalist movements has shown that it has helped the women to gain an equal access to all spheres of political decision-making in the constructed society. Unequal opportunities of women are deterrent for the formation of a democratic society. (Weber 1-11) Conclusion In the last couple of decades the world has seen a growing acceptance by the militaries around the world to accept women in their forces. However the former bias towards women can still be experienced in the military. The women serving in the military of Canada complained of various such issues. One of the most significant complaints is of sexual harassment. The women in these military forces have complained of rape, sexual assault, and misconduct by the colleagues and seniors. Sometimes the male soldiers are dissatisfied by the presence of their female colleagues and this is manifested by the intimidation of the female soldiers. Moreover these offenders mostly get away with no serious punishments for their crimes. Sometimes even the female victim is accused. There is also a tendency of trivializing the issue. (Mulawaka 8). This has resulted in the decrease in the number of female candidates joining the forces. Many of them have even left the forces after joining (Sexual Assault Scandal reported at Air Force Academy 8). This was seen in the Air force Academy of Colorado Springs. References 1. Burgoyne, Matthew. “Newsflash: Military Report Says Women Should Be Allowed in Combat”, Ms Magazine, March 8, 2011, May 26, 2011 from: http://msmagazine.com/blog/blog/2011/03/08/newsflash-military-report-says-women-should-be-allowed-in-combat/ 2. Devilbiss, Margaret Conrad. Women and Military service: a history, analysis and overview of key issues, DIANE Publishing, 1990. 3. Mulawaka, Brian. “The Frustrating Follies in Forces”, Alberta Report, (1998), 25.29, 8, May 26, 2011 from: http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?sid=9485c229-f77d-4e02-83be-d1ae108b5c5f%40sessionmgr112&vid=1&hid=104&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=aph&AN=841896 4. Mitchel, Brian P. Women in Military: flirting with disaster, Washington D. C. Regnery Publishing, 1998. 5. “Sexual Assault Scandal reported at Air Force Academy”, Contemporary Sexuality, (2003), 37. 4, 8, May 26, 2011, from: http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?sid=1f4fe6e4-dd47-4d33-be2d-91b9d5b149f6%40sessionmgr110&vid=1&hid=104&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=aph&AN=11142529 6. Webber, Annette, “Feminist Peace and Conflict Theory”, UIBK, (2006), May 26, 2011, from: http://www.uibk.ac.at/peacestudies/downloads/peacelibrary/feministpeace.pdf Read More