Issues In The Canadian Military

For years women have been trying to gain gender equality throughout the working world, along with in the military. Since the beginning of a uniformed military, women could not serve in military occupational specialty (MOS) positions that put them in direct combat roles. Although many women have contributed in significant ways, they have not been authorized to serve in MOS such as infantry, artillery, or armor. As the war on terrorism has developed since 9/11, women have slowly worked their way farther into the military and its many roles. This resulted in women being placed into direct combat roles. Though women have been allowed into many different roles, there is still one battle that they have yet to win and this time the majority is not backing them. Women are trying to gain access to United States Special Operations units in every branch of the military and the majority of these operators are not happy about it. While some people believe women deserve equality and the chance to do what men can do in the military, that is why women should not be

In the past, military news typically evolved tragic training incidents or deaths during overseas combat. However, over the last several years many incidents involving military personnel and sexual assault have made headlines across the United States. Military women and men have brought to light the lack of justice for victims of sexual assault, and the prevalence of such attacks. Questions arise as to why victims do not report incidents or seek assistance when they are physically or sexually assaulted. Many reasons are due to how the system of reporting is established within the military, retaliation and further re-victimization within the chain of command. Modifications to the current system have begun within the Department of Defense and

Throughout the world, deviant acts and social controls are committed everyday. An incredibly significant one that is often unreported is sexual assault within the military. Sexual assault is already determined as an extremely deviant act throughout the world. All acts of rape and other abusive acts should never be dismissed or ignored, but rape within the military is often not reported or recognized. If it is brought to light, the victims are generally in fear of losing their positions, rankings, homes, relationships with their spouses and families, etc…. This is not to state that men are not also victims of sexual assault, but women are much more prone and vulnerable to being attacked and harassed. I will be focusing on the female victims of military assault in this paper.

Appearing Tuesday on CBC’s The National, Chief of the Defence Staff Gen. Tom Lawson said that sexual harassment and assaults continue to plague the military because men are biologically predisposed to force themselves on women.

“The most shocking cover up in the United States Military is not what you would expect (The Invisible War),” reports of sexual assaults over all branches of the military have tremendously increase every since women have been allow to take part of the military. According to the Secretary of Defense, over 500,000 male and female soldiers have suffered of sexual abuse from senior peers and commanders. During the past years, many women reported a variety of cases of sexual abuse. Sadly, the victims were only ignored, blamed and punished for the events. Sexual assaults are considered a scandalous subject which our military has decided to avoid, but by doing so, the number of rapes has increase even faster. Rape is a repetitive criminal;

Now the military tradition and culture has to adapt to the presence of women and gays. Now masculinity and femininity are both represented in the military. Now the military culture has to inclusive vs. exclusive and it has to be tolerant of a variety of soldiers like never before. Military tradition can no longer cling to the rigid male combat masculine-warrior persona.

Women have been sexually harassed and assaulted in the work force for years, and for many years, the US Army has been dealing with this enormous and overwhelming issue, through the help of their agency known as the Equal Opportunity Program (EOP). In the US Army regulation 600-20, Army Chief of Staff, General Raymond T Odierno, States the purpose, “This regulation prescribes the policies and responsibilities of command, which include the Well-being of the force, military discipline, and conduct, the Army Equal Opportunity (EO) Program, and the Army Sexual Assault Victim Program.“ For a long time, the Army’s EOP Equal Opportunity

Since the Second World War, the functions and responsibilities of women in Canadian society has significantly changed. This societal shift has been considerably perceptible in one of Canada’s finest institutions; the military. Today, Canada is a global front-runner in military gender integration, excelling with regards to both the proportion of women in its military - currently around 14.8% of combined Regular and Reserve Force personnel - as well as in the roles in which they can serve.

More than a decade after rape or physical assault during military service, women reported severely decreased health-related quality of life, with limitations of physical and emotional health, educational and financial attainment, and severe, recurrent problems with work and social activities.” (Para 4.) The article talks about the frequency of women getting raped or sexually assaulted, and the injuries that these women face physically and emotionally, even years after the incident occurs. In this particular study, a “Cohort of women veterans who served in the Vietnam, post-Vietnam, or Persian Gulf War era was selected.” (Para 9.) Around six hundred women participated in this study, and “Almost half the participants (48%) reported some type of physical or sexual victimization during their military service. Physical assault was reported by 35%, and most (58%) had been assaulted at least twice. Rape was reported by 30%, in 11% it was attempted and in 19% completed.” The seriousness of these situations recurring should not go

These articles could be applied to gender issues in the context of clinical practice because it elaborates on the awareness of men being victims of military sexual assault, not just women. Civilian health care providers should be trained in providing resources and assessments to both genders of sexual assault. In addition, depending on the gender of the victim, sexual assault psychologically affects everyone differently. There are those who are resilient and some who cannot live with the burden. The articles also talks about myths that exist regarding sexual assault only happening to service women and not service men. This is obviously not true, however the insight the articles gave regarding eradicating myths of sexual assault that are based

As sexual violence has been and probably still is present in the US, there are a high number of rape cases going unreported, as indicated in the “The Invisible War” documentary. It is surprising to view that men were also victims of rape in the military. There is a great percentage of women victims of rape in the military, and they are unable to obtain justice for enduring such an act of violence. Men, victims of rape just like women are somewhat in the same predicament of not wanting to make a report as a risk of being judged of being homosexual.

I believe that the greatest challenges that exist for service members is the stigma that is still associated with gay and lesbians in the military because of the military culture that has been instilled for so many years. Even with the Don’t Ask Don’t Tell Policy (DADT), military members still face discrimination if they are openly gay or lesbian. According to Bumiller (2012), “A large percentage choose to remain in the closet, and part of that is they are reading signals from their peers that it is still not O.K. to be out in the military”. Even though the repeal has made a positive impact in the legal barrier faced against gay and lesbians in the military, the harassment and discrimination has not

Women were not able to serve in the military until after World War II when President Truman signed the Women’s Armed Service Integration Act. According to psychologist David Barash, “in every known society- now and at any time in the past- it has been men and not women who were primarily expected to deal with enemies” (Kerrigan, 2012). The way that the military treats sexism and homophobia is largely reliant upon its culture’s idea of

The military has become the epicenter for rape and abuse of women, all of which military officials have swept aside with all too little concern. Case after case of rape and sexual harassment are dismissed with little to no investigation made. The women of the military live scared of their male superiors and colleagues, and what they might do. Victims of sexual harassment or rape often see their pursuers honorably discharged and returned to society with no criminal record.

Women and the LGBT+ community members are continuing to feel uncomfortable and not valued in this chosen occupation, as they continue to be challenged in unfair ways and are judged for more than being different. For this reason, RCMP officers are denied the chance to advance their careers, or take on a more superior/leadership role; bringing us right back to the glass ceiling effect. Not all places have women in non-superior roles; there are many places where they precede the men. This is why liberal feminism allows and encourages individuals to use their own abilities, and the democratic process to help women and men become more equal, including equal treatment and rights; not only in the eyes of the law (RCMP), but in society, the home and the workplace.