Women in the Military

Paper Summary:

In this article, the writer introduces, discusses and analyzes the topic of women in history. Specifically, the paper discusses the problem of women in the military and offers a solution to the problem. The writer notes that traditionally, society views women as weaker than men, physically and emotionally, and so women are deemed unfit for combat. The writer looks at a variety of other reasons many people oppose women in the military. Further, the writer points out that women play a vital role in military operations, and have served in combat in many other countries (notably Israel), very successfully. The writer concludes that if women choose to join the military and play an active role in America's defense, they should be able to serve in combat or non-combat situations.

From the Paper:

"This is an issue for a number of reasons. First, many women want to serve their country and fight for it, rather than serve in behind the scenes functions. Second, because women do not serve in active combat roles in many areas of the armed forces, they do not face the threat of a draft, and many people feel that is unfair. More importantly, women in the military face several challenges their male counterparts do not face, such as pregnancy, menstruation, sexual harassment, the need to leave children at home for long periods of time, and gender issues. These issues can create emotional and physical barriers to a woman's performance, and they are perhaps the most contentious problems with women in the military."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Goldman, Nancy Loring, ed. Female Soldiers--Combatants or Noncombatants?: Historical and Contemporary Perspectives. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1982.
• Jernigan, Pat. "Women at War: Gender Issues of Americans in Combat." Minerva: Quarterly Report on Women and the Military 19.1 (2001): 51.
• Marley, David John. "Phyllis Schlafly's Battle against the ERA and Women in the Military." Minerva: Quarterly Report on Women and the Military 18.2 (2000):
• Toktas, Sule. "Nationalism, Militarism and Gender Politics: Women in the Military." Minerva: Quarterly Report on Women and the Military 20.2 (2002): 29+.
• "Violence against Women in the Military." USA Today (Society for the Advancement of Education) Aug. 2001:

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• Argumentative Essay # 41499 : "Argument Against Women in the Military"

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