Essay Sample on Women and Social Action

Introduction

Traditionally, the military has been perceived as a place for men. All manners of barriers have been placed in the way of women to hamper their recruitment into the institution and professional progression for those who are lucky enough to enlist. Women have played their part in fighting for inclusivity and they have succeeded to some extent. Currently across the world, there are more women in the military compared to the 1900s.Women and gays were excluded from the military in the past due to the notion that they are unfit for rigorous exercises and the need to stick to marital duties.

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Women were previously excluded from military activities because of the notion that the physical exercises in military training camps were too rigorous for them. The Supreme Court in a case presented by the Citadel against the Virginia Military Institute (VMI) in the year 1996, disagreed arguing that "women were protected under the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment" (Andersen, 2006). The decision has been received positively with more than 200,000 women enrolling in the military. These women have been deployed for duty in places all over the world including Iraq and Afghanistan. The other reason for their exclusion from the military was the assumption that they should be protected by men as they engage in lighter duties of motherhood. The society's fear of women enlisting in the military was the major reason for opposing the Equal Rights Amendment.

Feminists have also been very critical of the military in the past. They claim that the military has been discriminating against gays and women as well as portraying the military as masculine which is wrong. Further, they have argued that the aggression of military personnel and involvement of men only in warfare is, in most circumstances, justified in the sense that a nation has to be heroic, supreme, and tough which are characteristics linked to men (Andersen, 2006). The aggressiveness and violent capacity are viewed as indicators of the strength a nation possesses, which reflects on how strong individual men are in the institution. Additionally, the values of the military legitimize sexual aggression and violent behavior towards women, specifically during times of war. For instance, the armies that invaded war-torn Sudan and assaulted women sexually viewed the act as their right after the victory (Andersen, 2006). Raping has been sanitized in the military and made a common just like the women being used in brothels as sex workers.

There are various policy recommendations that would improve the situation of women in the military. Military regulations should be altered and made favorable towards women with the aim of improving the prospects of women who want to enlist in the army. More women military personnel would enable them to fight against the sexual victimization of women in war-torn nations in times of victory. More women should be given positions of power in the military hence enabling them to fight favorably against the victimization of their fellow women in the institution. When such measures are implemented, women will be more appreciated in the military institutions.

Conclusion

Overall, it is evident that the notion of being unfit for physical exercises and family obligations were the major reasons for the exclusion of women from the military. The Supreme Court case against VMI in 1996 played a major role in addressing the plight of women in the military. Policy recommendations such as giving women more positions of power and enacting laws that are favorable towards women would facilitate the peaceful transition of women towards the roles of combat in the military. Women deserve an opportunity to serve their nation just as men do.

References

Andersen, M.D. (2006). Thinking about Women, Sociological Perspectives on Sex and Gender. 11th Edition. Pearson Education.