Introduction
Today in the United States military we are seeing more women become a part of the armed forces and serving our country. For me I believe this to be an accomplishment for women who chose to work in a field that is overly dominated and run by men. As for the world there are only 3% of women that make up the worlds military personnel(Herrmann, I., & Palmieri, D. 2010).There are some aspects of women being in the military and serving our country where these women are not being treated equal. Women have come a long way through many types of inequalities over the years, but the U.S. military is still an aspect that is lacking which if more women were included could add to the military’s overall strength. The U.S. Military seems to be playing a game to see who is better or to see who is more capable to protect our country. Today women still need to prove to men (and/or the U.S. Military) that they are good enough to do what the male soldiers do, that they should be treated equally with respect, and that they deserve the same rights and benefits as their fellow male soldiers. It is in my belief that women in the military are just as capable of protecting our country as men and they should be treated respectfully and equally.
In this paper will demonstrate the inequality among women in the U.S. Military through interdisciplinary perspectives. This includes the history of women in the military, inequalities of women in the military with focuses on impact of women in the military, along with women’s perspective on women being in the military, and then men’s perspective on the subject. It will then review the ethical impact of women in the military followed by some suggested possible solutions and end with a conclusion that focus...
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Silva, J. M. (2008). A New Generation of Women? How Female ROTC Cadets Negotiate the Tension between Masculine Military Culture and Traditional Femininity. Social Forces, 87(2), 937-960.
Sjoberg, L. (2010). Women fighters and the 'beautiful soul' narrative. International Review Of The Red Cross, 92(877), 53-68. doi:10.1017/S181638311000010X
Within Megan H. Mackenzie’s essay, “Let Women Fight” she points out many facts about women serving in the U.S. military. She emphasizes the three central arguments that people have brought up about women fighting in the military. The arguments she states are that women cannot meet the physical requirements necessary to fight, they simply don’t belong in combat, and that their inclusion in fighting units would disrupt those units’ cohesion and battle readiness. The 1948 Women’s Armed Services Integration Act built a permanent corps of women in all the military departments, which was a big step forward at that time. Although there were many restrictions that were put on women, an increase of women in the U.S. armed forces happened during
Women in the US Military - Civil War Era. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Apr. 2017.
With society’s past and present it is apparent that women are still not equal even if they have the title. Men are observably stronger and have a different mentality in situations than women. This is not to say that women should not be in the military but they should have the choice that way they can accept the responsibility and train themselves mentally and physically to achieve the responsibility and respect needed to fight for our country.
"From Home Front to Front Line." Women in War. Ed. Cecilia Lee and Paul Edward Strong. N.p.: n.p., n.d. N. pag. The Churchill Centre. Web. 23 Apr. 2014.
In a 1944 magazine article, Eleanor Roosevelt claimed that American “women are serving actively in many ways in this war [World War II], and they are doing a grand job on both the fighting front and the home front.”1 While many women did indeed join the workforce in the 1940s, the extent and effects of their involvement were as contested during that time as they are today. Eleanor Roosevelt was correct, however, in her evaluation of the women who served on the fighting front. Although small in number due to inadequate recruitment, the women who left behind their homes and loved ones in order to enlist in the newly established Women’s Auxiliary Army Corp (WAAC), and later the Women’s Army Corps (WAC), were deemed invaluable to the war effort.
Since the resolution of World War II, the United States has been involved in over fifteen extensive military wars. Recent wars between Iraq and Afghanistan are being fought over several issues which affect women in both the United States and the other nations. While the military is often thought of a male dominated institution, women are present and affected all throughout the system as soldiers, caretakers, partners, and victims. Transnational feminists often fight against war due to the vulnerability that is placed on women during times of war. Despite often being overlooked, there is no doubt that women are heavily included in the devastating consequences of war.
Major General Jeanne M. Holm, In Defense of a Nation: Servicewomen in World War II, (Washington DC, Military Women’s Press) p. 9
"Update: Women in the Military." Issues and Controversies. Facts On File News Services, 29 May 2007. Web.
Many women joined the armed forces in order for the men to launch into combat. They women served as nurses, typists, clerks and mail sorters. Ther...
Becraft, Carolyn J. “ A Case for Women in Combat.” U.S Army Command and General Staff
With the advent of the 1920s and the signing of the Nineteenth Amendment came a rapid movement toward women’s rights. It sped up with the beginning of World War II where six million women went to work in military factories, producing ammunition and other military goods for the sixteen million troops fighting abroad. The end of the war brought the realization that American women could work just as hard and efficiently as American men. Thus the idea of feminism was born. From here, the momentum continued before taking a hit with the loss of the Equal Rights Amendment in the 1980s. This only caused women to fight harder and soon a new generation of independent women arose in the early 1990s. Nowadays, self-sufficient women can be found everywhere as CEOs in companies like PepsiCo and Kraft Foods or as associate justices on the Supreme Court. However, all the strides taken thus far had its origins not in businesses or the government but in the military. Since Joan of Arc first picked up a sword to fight for the French, women have disguised themselves as men in order to fight for their country and for their own personal independence. For example, during the Civil War (1860-1865), nearly three hundred women fought bravely in support of both the Northern and Southern cause (Weiser). Yet despite their bravery, three hundred seems trivial next to the approximately three million male soldiers that fought next to them (Weiser). The majority of contributions came from the women who stayed within the societal boundaries of the time. Unfortunately, most accounts of women in the Civil War focus on the hidden soldiers and not the supporting housewives. With such a small amount of women defying the norm, one has to wonder to what extent did women ...
Ruby, J. (2005, November 1). Women in Combat Roles: Is That the Question?. Off Our Backs,35, 36.
The story of America’s military woman can be traced to the birth of our nation. During the American Revolutionary War, the 18th and 19th centuries, where women served informally as nurses, seamstresses, cooks, and even as spies and were subject to Army’s rules of Conduct. Though not in uniform, these women shared soldier’s hardships including inadequate housing and little compensation. Women have formally been part of the U.S Armed Forces since the Inception of the Army Nurse Corps in 1901. In 1973 the transition to the All-Volunteer Force marked a dramatic increase in the opportunities available for women to serve in the military. As of September 30, 2009, the total number of active duty women in the U.S was 203, 375, and women made up 14.3 percent of the U.s armed forces (Robinson). Women are a crucial role in c...
...into play that could affect how women perform in dangerous situations. Women are doing an outstanding job performing and magnifying their current positions in the military. We need to be satisfied and recognize our limitations as humans and soldiers. The role of women has always played an important role in military history. By leaving them out of combat their reputation can remain untainted.
Skaine, Rosemarie. “Properly Trained Servicewomen Can Overcome Physical Shortcomings.” Women at War: Gender Issues of Americans in Combat (1999). Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Thomson Gale. University of South Alabama Library. 15 July 2006 .