Women, Military Service and Gender Equality

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Jordan Wolf Lutze ENGL 110 23 September 2013 “Women, Military Service, and Gender Equality” The subject of women being allowed in the military has been debated for quite a while in the United States. Many people have very strong opinions about the capability of women to do certain jobs in the military, as well as the effects of women on the work place dynamics. In the beginning of America, in the time of the revolutionary war, it was common for a woman to disguise herself as a man in order to join the military efforts. This came to an end when the army began conducting thorough examinations to ensure that t only healthy males were enlisting. However, as time goes on, military positions have become more and more accessible to women in the United States. In 1976, President Gerald Ford signed the law that allowed women to enroll in military academies. Recently, in January of 2013, the ban on women serving in combat was lifted, and America has taken a step further towards equality for women. Different countries have very different views on a woman’s place in the military. Some countries, like India, say they allow women in their military, but there are very few of them and they aren’t allowed to do anything significant. They are also only allowed to serve for fourteen years, and they don’t get pensions or other benefits. The United States and the United Kingdom do allow women to serve, but both countries are very behind on giving women equal rights to men. The United Kingdom currently bas women from “all roles whose primary duty is to be close to and kill the enemy.” The United States bars women from serving on the front lines because of physical capability and tradition. Recently, women have been given the rights to fill certain roles, but none of them were on the ground and in combat until January of this year. Even with the combat ban lifted, there are still

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