Discrimination in the Military

Discrimination in the Military

Yes, the military does have sexual harassment and

discrimination against women in the nineties. "Firestone and

co-researcher Richard J. Hurns analyzed a 1988 DOD Survey of men and

women in the military and found that 51.8 % of men and 74.6% of women

reported either experiencing or knowing of sexual harassment. Amoung

the women surveyed, 70.1% had experienced "sexual talk or behavior at

the work place [that] created an offensive, hostile or intimidating

environment." Amoung the men, 36.9% gave the same answer."(1) The

percent of women being sexually harassed is much higher than the

percent of men being harassed. Even though it is not tolerated, it

still happens regardless of the consequences, even in the nineties.

While some women's experiences have been similar to those of black

men, their integration into the military has also differed in several

ways. Because of our society's fundamental belief that protecting the

home and going to war are a man's work, men from minority groups have

often been accepted more readily in the military than the women. Women

have been viewed as outsiders in a male environment. Discrimination

and harassment occurs for women because we are entering an all male

dominated area. Some areas are still restricted because of it. For

example: serving in direct combat capacities such as armor, infantry,

and special forces-branches from which much of the senior leadership

is drawn. "In 1994, the annual Navywide Personnel Survey included

questions on women's role for the first time. Some 65 percent of

officers and almost 50 percent of enlisted respondents said they did

not think women were fully accepted in combat roles. While

approximately 80 percent said harassment was not tolerated at their

command, almost half of all respondents disagreed that everyone is

treated equally in promotions and advancements."(2) Some of this is

bases on the presumed physical and psychological characteristics of

women which may interfere with their performances of some military

jobs. For example: the physical strength of women. People believe that

women are not strong enough to lift and carry heavy equipment or

wounded fellow soldiers and that we lack endurance to perform these

tasks over a lengthened period of time.