There are over 200,000 women serving in the military, yet they still do not get recognized like men do. Our nation’s military is all-volunteer and their intentions are to defend and protect our country’s freedom. So why is it that women join the military having the exact same mindset that all the men joining have but they do not get the same treatment? Women go through the same training and hardships in bootcamp and are qualified to do the same things as their male counterparts. However, females are not allowed to serve on front-line combat units, serve as special service soldiers, nor can they hold prestigious ranks. A majority of the inequality that is experienced is based on the idea that masculinity determines one’s toughness and success in combat. In the eyes of many, women play a support role to men and are there for a man’s needs, but that’s not the case at all.
So what do we talk about when we talk about the military itself and the gender roles within it? Well for starters, military is defined as “of or relating to soldiers or the armed forces (such as the army, navy, marines, and air force)” according to merriam-webster. No matter what branch someone goes into the training is still generally the same; high intense workouts and activities that test the physical and mental strength of each and every individual that plans to commit to
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Even as a daughter of two Marines, I still am like most people in America, in that I tend to picture a man when I think of someone being a part of the military. Having heard the stories my mom and dad have told me, much of their experiences were the same, however my mom did have to take that extra step in order for her to be seen at the same level as a
Men have always been looked upon as the leading sex. Looking back through history women have been the ones who take care of the home and children, while men are the ones who work and go to war. However in recent years there’s no doubt that women have become much more equal in the work force. Nevertheless men are still the ones who are forced to fight our wars when the time calls for it. Many think that women should be entirely equal to men having their choice to be drafted taken away but the fact is that they are physically at a disadvantage, too emotionally oriented, and the increase of female presence would have a more negative impact in the military in the way of social interactions.
Men always believed that women cannot do everything like a guy or what men can do because they think women are not as strong as them, or they are too emotional. They want women to stay home cook, clean and take care of the kids. Until today there are some countries still believe that women have no rights to work or do anything. Now women are starting to fight for their rights and to show men that women can do anything men can. Strong women are empowered and role models to young women. One of the biggest inequalities women face is the different physical standards for being allowed into a Military Occupation Specialty (MOS). Now women are able to be part in the military maybe not up to a level where men can reach, but we have taken the first step of women being able to join the military and being able to fight for their country just as
Despite having been involved in the military since the American Revolution, women are most often overlooked as being a soldier. While many people think it is respectful to go up and thank a person for their service and duties in the military, most often they insult women by not acknowledging them as a soldier, because society still sees military personnel as a male based society. There is a fallacy to this stigma.
For women to be in the Military it might be tougher meaning guys naturally have more muscle, but if a women had their mindset on doing it, no one should tell her that is isn’t allowed to because she isn’t a guy. Today women have so much more freedom than what they used to have. Many people think that women won’t be aggressive during the war and that’s why they should not be able to be a part of something as great as it. I think that women will be aggressive when it comes to the real fight because they know that if they don’t they could most likely be killed. Going into the military women know that they have a chance of not coming out.
Gender discrimination is a problem for women joining the military because of the physical strength barriers, trying to maintain a family, and the threat of harassment and sexual assault. Gender discrimination is defined to be the belief that one gender is superior to the other, in this case, that men are superior to women. These problems concerning gender discrimination have been around for decades and hopefully won’t continue very much longer.
Women have fought alongside men in the United States Military in every major battle since the American Revolution. The roles of women in the military have evolved over time to allow the incorporation of women in expanding military career fields. Women have proven themselves to be an asset to the military despite some of society believing women would weaken America’s military effectiveness. Today more than 200,000 women are active-duty military, this is about 14.5% of all military. Currently, women are involved in all branches of the Armed Forces; there are around 74,000 women in the Army, 62,000 in the Air Force, 53,000 in the Navy, and 14,000 in the Marine Corps (By the numbers: Women in the U.S. Military). Military women continue to
Women have been serving honorably in the military for centuries; yet, the some of the stereotypes still
Women in the United States have long fought for the right to be included in many facets of society such as the right to vote to breaking into professions like the medical field and getting females elected to major government offices. But one of the most intriguing questions of integration has yet to be fully answered. Apart from all others is the battle to allow women the right, the honor, and the privilege of serving and defending their country as part of the United States Armed Forces. Being in the military means prestige, honor, pride, and the satisfaction that comes along with engaging what is considered one of the most valiant and traditionally revered professions in our country. However, there has always been and continues to be
"We end up letting the institution down because we have an end product that isn’t fit, isn’t strong and can’t compete with the men — and how disappointing is that, from a national security perspective?" said retired Lt. Col. Kate Germano (Schogol). Female recruits will most likely not be ready for combat. Every soldier needs to be combat ready for an efficient and successful mission. Combat openings for women will result in them longing for lower standards. The government also wants to push for lowered standards. It is disrespectful to those that serve and go on to serve when recruits aren’t held to equal standards. Men and women are disrespected with double standards. The United States military has gender equal military occupational specialties(MOS) opportunity specifically for combat jobs, so it should have gender equal physical standard throughout its ranks and respective branches.
Today’s active military is made up of 15% women and 85% of men, although the percentage of women is more than it has been in years before there are still more men than women in combat. Women were always apart of war but in a different way, they were caregivers to wounded soldiers, supporting wives, and nurturing mothers. Never did the military think a woman was fit to serve on the battlefield, and once women were allowed to join the active military no one took them seriously and did not treat them as they would a man. I personally agree that women should be able to participate in combat; I hope to do the same after I complete school. When I join the Coast Guard I’m sure there will be men thinking that they are better than me and trying to bring
The amount of women if the military has changes a lot since people first started joining the military. It started in 1994 where is said “all positions in the U.S. military will be open to women unless the services can convince Defense Secretary Ashton Carter that some should remain closed.” (Time Labs). It is true that in the past women were not able to go out with men and be in the military which did make them dress up as men and fight for what they wanted and for what they believed in. It’s said the currently 15.3% of active-duty personnel in the U.S. military are women. Marines having the lowest percentage being at 7.6%, 30 of 336 Marine jobs are still to this day closed to women. The Air Force and Navy has the highest percentage of women
The Military is a time honored tradition and a paradox for the new generations. Men who serve in the armed forces will always be hard pressed to agree with allowing women to enter combat military occupational specialties. Cort Kirkwood of the New American news website does not agree with females holding these jobs, and has documented them in an article. He has said, “Women do not have upper body strength, Menstrual Cycles create issues in the field and PMS causes hysteria, and not being able to urinate in the field or on convoys creates hardships for everyone” (Kirkwood, 2013). The problem with this argument is that women have been at the forefront of battle since the very beginning of time. America was founded on the premise that all men
Women have historically been portrayed as fierce, unfearful warriors in many cultures. Women have also taken part of many male dominated roles such as pirates, marauders, soldiers and cavalry members in war. The controversial topic about women having equal opportunities in the military has been a hot topic among many Americans. Many people believe that women are not physically capable, or, women should be at home tending to the family. Other people believe that women have proved themselves able to handle tough situations and gender roles are beginning to disappear as the years go by. Today, women are pursuing military careers in health, human services, administration and science departments.
Many soldiers are known for getting in and out of situations fast, so they might, in exemplar I-do-not-want-to-leave situations, the soldiers might leave them there. Women are known for “complex” emotions so they may help in these special cooperative situations. Anyways, we might as well let women do these masculine tasks in the military. Women have been given jobs in factories, lumber mills, and box-lifting in grocery stores; so why not the military? Over the past century, women have been able to stand independently in robust careers like authorizing figures like firefighters and police officers. Firefighters and police officers risk our lives for us and some women undertake these professions. So why not on the line of
Women have fought decades to be seen as equal to men. All though all these good things happened because of woman’s movement. However, this doesn’t mean women must play male roles in the twenty first century. Placing women front line in combat is setting them up in a field full of grenades that represent distress emotion and the lack of physical strength that in the end will have a negative effect on females and their fellow soldiers they are fighting with. There are specific roles that only a male should take. For example, protecting and serving our country. Women should have equal rights, women have the disadvantage of fighting in combat where their safety is on the line and their physical biological and emotional restrictions will hold