Can Military Service Benefit From Females - Research Paper Example

Can Military Service Benefit From Females? Military forms an important component of a states integrity and unity. It has been generally perceived all over these years that military is formed by armed men who work together for a common cause. In the past decades it has been noticed that this general belief has been quite true as military has been concerned solely with men. Women have been ignored in the sector of military for quite some time but there has been a debate on such a stance by the militaries of the world. The proponents of women participation in military argue that women can prove to be beneficial for the military because they have the capability to assume tasks just like men. Some even argue that women are more capable of men in certain aspects which are required in the posts of military. On the other hand arguments against the participation are also strong which state that females can only provide hindrance to a joined military action of men. These women are not capable enough as argued by the opponents. Females generally have assumed many roles which previously were designated for men only but military remains one of the sectors where the number of females is still minimal (Harrell et al 1997; Helen 2008). The role of women in military can be traced back to the times of Joan of Arc in the 15th century. She played the role of a successful leader to lead French troops in a battle against Englishmen. However even after her triumph the role of women in military was not considerable enough as they were believed to be inferior when compared with males (Mimi 1994). The proponents of women participation argue that military can greatly benefit from the participation of these women. They argue that women can benefit the military by playing an important role in combats. Here they give examples of woman soldiers who have served in military effectively and efficiently. Military can benefit greatly from the combat of women soldiers as they can fight efficiently like men. Similarly with population profiles it was seen that finding men for military became difficult and thus the military had to rely on women. Women part a great part of the entire population of this world and this can be a very good reason to enrol women in military. Women can form a great part of the military if they are allowed to join military. Perhaps the proponents argue that women should be encouraged to join military so that they can help to increase the strength of military. The capability of men and women are alike as put by Plato and thus women have all the rights to join military like men. He stated it in these words ‘All the capabilities with which nature endows us are distributed among men and women alike’ (Blythe 2001; Devilbiss & Air University 1990). Since the world war II it is seen that women have formed an important part of military of this world. After 1942 Women’s Army Corps was also founded which encouraged women to join military. The military can also benefit from the large pool of applicants which they can get if they can open more military seats for women. This large pool of applicants can give the military an advantage of diversity which can be helpful in the field. The proponents also argue that women can also learn by joining military as they would be able to learn skills which otherwise would be impossible for them to learn. With increased number of women enrolling military can set out to create new posts for women. In some roles of life it is seen that women are quite effective and even more better than men and it is argued by these proponents that some of the roles of field can be done better by the women (Devilbiss & Air University 1990). The proponents also put forward a point through which they prove that women in military are more educated than men in military. The Women’s Research and Education Institute states that around 27 percent of women have gone through the stages of college whereas only 21 percent of men have gone through these stages. The proponents put forward the fact that education can play a great role in every state of life and if more women are selected in military who are educated they can serve to be great leaders. The proponents also put forward that if women are selected like men in military then the competition would increase further. This competition can further ensure that enrolled individuals strive harder to achieve a post in the military (Women in the Military & Women Veterans; Devilbiss & Air University 1990) If the perspective of the proponents is viewed from a rational point it can be seen that women like all men have the right to compete for military. They can perform well in all aspects of life as put down by the proponents. The proponents also put forward the fact that previously women were not allowed to work like men but nowadays they are and this has created a platform for them to strive. They further put forward that many women in this world are now working better than their fellow counterparts (Helen 2008; Devilbiss & Air University 1990). On the other hand many opponents of this belief argue that women do not qualify for the posts of military. These opponents put forward the fact that women are weaker than men and they cannot handle the tension in the field. The opponents put forward that combat is not meant for women but for men because they can easily handle tension and stress. They believe that women in military can cause concerns for both the leaders and high ranks. If a woman is a leader then it would be hard for men to follow her because many men would not have confidence in the female leader. This can disrupt the unity of the whole garrison (Mimi 1994; Devilbiss & Air University 1990). Military can also be harmed through social tensions as increased women in military would cause an increased number of rapes in military as previously reported. The interests of men would be rather diverted and they might lose the track of the original objective. The opponents put forward that military can be at great loss because of increased number of women in it. They also put forward the concerns regarding the capturing of women in wars and their treatment by the country. An incident of the Gulf War can be cited here in which two military women were captured and sexually molested. All these factors together count for the arguments given by the opponents (Devilbiss & Air University 1990). Although the opponents have strong arguments against women participation in military they are not always true. Many women are quite powerful physically and mentally when it comes to combating and this can be really helpful in combats. The leadership roles of women can also be tackled successfully by the military if a whole unit is formed of women. Women can assume roles like men and can deliver effectively. In my view military can greatly benefit from the services of women. Increased women participation can provide a diverse environment for military in which they can work in collaboration with their counterparts. New posts can be created for females which suit their nature. Similarly as the population of the world consists of women majorly, women should be encouraged to join military as they would be necessarily required in the future (Helen 2008; Mimi 1994; Harrell et al 1997). References Women in the Military & Women Veterans http://www.wrei.org/WomeninMilitary.htm Finch, Mimi. "Women In Combat: One Commissioner Reports." Minerva Quarterly Report on Women and the Military 12 (Spring 1994): 1-12. Top of Form Harrell, M. C., Miller, L. L., United States., & National Defense Research Institute (U.S.). (1997). New opportunities for military women: Effects upon readiness, cohesion, and morale. Santa Monica, CA: Rand. Top of Form Carreiras, Helen. (2008). Gender and the Military: Women in the Armed Forces of Western Democracies. Routledge. Top of Form Pennington, R. (2003). Amazons to fighter pilots: A biographical dictionary of military women. Westport, Conn: Greenwood Press. Top of Form Blythe, . (February 01, 2001). Women in the military: scholastic arguments and medieval images of female warriors. History of Political Thought, 22, 2, 242-269. Top of Form Devilbiss, M. C., & Air University (U.S.). (1990). Women and military service: A history, analysis, and overview of key issues. Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala: Air University Press. Bottom of Form Bottom of Form Bottom of Form Bottom of Form Bottom of Form Read More