Gender discrimination in the military
By: Tonio Winkler
By: Tonio Winkler
Gender
discrimination has affected not just regular civilian jobs, but the careers
that take bravery and courage. This organization restricts individuals
regardless of their merits or status in the organization. Also it has carved
its way into American history with rifles and bombs. Nevertheless, the United
States army social justice system is under attack, in the end producing irony.
The armed services have spent millions marketing to men and woman the possibilities
and door openings that await their enlistment. However, many have come to find
that the phrase “equal opportunity employer” is a double-sided coin. “Women are
generally more likely than men to leave the military” (Febbraro,
2010) .
Women have for far to long been discriminated and harassed in the
male-dominated military profession. Until a reform to the armed services is
initiated, social justice will fail and change will not happen.
The armed
services have traditionally been a male dominated profession, which in the end
was a factor in female discrimination. “Soldiering around the world is commonly
a male-dominated profession that breeds an excessively masculine environment.
In these circumstances, women have to learn to communicate in masculine ways in
order to be effective” (Angle, 2010) . Given the
environment, women have to find ways to match the masculinity of their male
counterparts. In typical war scenarios that one may see in movies, the strong
men are the survivors. One must understand that, “The nature of the profession
demands that armies be aggressive, vigilant and unerring in their propensity to
deliver lethal force against enemies. Traditional feminine qualities are seen
as weak and equated with defeat on the battlefield” (Angle, 2010) .
Nevertheless, the armed services must understand the tactics to warfare have
changed greatly. A more modern warfare approach is seen today which produces
very little hand-to-hand combat with the enemy. But, the mentality of women being
weaker in combat is still viewed, which is key to discrimination.
In addition, the
banning of woman serving in ground combat jobs, including infantry roles, will
produce limited justice for them in the military. “The infantry soldier is the
foundation of any army and ironically dubbed the Queen of Battle” (O'Toole, 2012) . For many,
the ground infantry are the backbone to any army. Having an insufficient lack of strong
military force will only produce the loss of a war. Therefore, understanding
this concept, few understand that men alone do not produce this. “The reason
for increase in women’s enlistment is the change in the nature of warfare” (Jeanes, 2011) . Once again,
having the strongest force is not by muscle alone. Wars today are not fought
with sword and shield but by intelligence and modern technology. Allowing women
to assist in combat related roles will provide a broader and intelligent view
to military strategies.
Furthermore,
woman in the military face sexism and frequent sexual assaults. “A servicewoman was nearly 180 times more likely to have
become a victim of military sexual assault (MSA) in the past year than to have
died while deployed during the last 11 years of combat in Iraq and Afghanistan” (O'Toole, 2012) . Women in the
military are fighting two battles, one for their country and to protect
themselves. Due to the system currently in place, assaulted females are under
intense conditions. Unlike the civilian assault system, the system that
military woman face is broken. Under the military system, the commander is
responsible for reviewing the initial report and determining whether there is
sufficient evidence to take action. “The issue is that one in for service
member victims doesn’t report assault because the person to whom they must
report is the perpetrator” (O'Toole, 2012) . As a result,
the victims have nowhere to go and can continue down a dark path.
In
conclusion, gender discrimination in the military has produced job-stereotyping and harassment. From an organizational performance standpoint, turnover and
employee well-being are highly effected. With gender inequality, woman will
find it harder to move up the ranks such as officer or sergeant. With lack of
promotion or constant abuse they will quit and create a high turnover
rate. With this turnover, the army will
loose the great knowledge and wisdom that women bring to the table. As
discussed in class, a high turnover rate can drop the morale of the entire
organization. Students
planning a career in the military can be better prepared for gender issues by
learning from this article. Having this knowledge will help combat the gender
issues that may arise and help deter it.
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