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It takes a lot of guts for a woman to stand out in a man dominated world. One has to be highly exceptional and gifted and be at the right side of history as did Condoleezza Rice or to be married to a clearly outstanding charismatic personality such as Jackie Kennedy or Hillary Clinton.
The recent democratic primaries have brought into sharp focus the role and direction of women in any field of leadership be it in business, academic or in politics. In the battle to be a commander in chief of the world’s only superpower, Ms Clinton has been put onto the spotlight as a woman and as a leader and so therefore all the careers of hundreds of thousands of women in different roles of leadership on the spot.
History, tradition, religion and culture have not dealt a good hand to woman in leadership attempting to advance in her career. More than in any other profession does she face more challenges than in the military? It has been the norm ever since the Stone Age that women looked after the home and men went to war and guarded the home. This is basically the case over today in the liberated world. The subtle barriers that limit women advancements can be assessed from two dimensions. Other people’s perceptions and attitudes that directly or indirectly affect her opportunities for advancements and her own attitudes that would possibly or negatively affect her at the workplace (Archives of family medicine 1995).
The USA armed forces consists of the four branches the Army, Navy, Air force and marine personnel. Women account for 13.2% of all officers and 12.6% of all enlisted personnel. The air force had approximately 16% of all active duty personnel as women, 13% in the army, 12% in the Navy and 4.6% in the marines (Military women profile, 1995).
The navy has come along way since Vietnam. The effects of a failing war drove many naval officers into the sleazy bars of Bangkok and the Philippines and as a result dev eloping exploitative sexual attitudes just as women were beginning to gain promotion in the ranks. Sexual harassment and discrimination still remains the bigger challenge to career dev elopement for women in the military. In a D.OD survey by Richard J. Horns and firestone it was found that 51.8% of men and 74.6% of women reported either knowing of or experiencing, sexual harassment, 70% of the women surveyed experienced ‘sexual talk or behavior at the work place that created an offensive, hostile or intimidating environment (Capital online 1996).
A lot has been done to fight this rise resulting in less cases but the other side of the coin is that the sensitiveness has affected negatively the deployment of female officers into combat roles or promotions. Many superior officers feces the backlash of nay incident and therefore would rather have female personnel in non-combative soft roles so that do not attract responsibility, loyalty and hence career advancement (National academy press; 1995).
Its interesting to note that during times of great strain on the countries such as during war or in a guerilla warfare situation women tend to advance more rapidly and also in socialists or communist regimes even in the most piratical society (male dominated society). These barriers are quickly dispelled such as in Algeria, Afghanistan and Somalia. It is only after the war that veil is quickly put back yet underneath it is hardened former commanders.
Technology has played its part in blurring the divide between men’s perceived capabilities Vis a Vis woman. The advantage of brawn that the men had that enabled them to use their physic al strength to lift heavy equipment has been shattered by the dev elopement of technology that enable ease in managing advance and performance of heavy tasks repeatedly like loading heavy shells into a weapon. Today there are more buttons to fire and less chance of meeting the energy face to face (Vistica, G. L. 1996).
The strain constantly relating military duties as the United States and European face an increasingly complex policing role all over the world has driven up the demand to recruit more personnel, intelligent, well educated and fit women are now taking on the roles formally the reserve of men. Women also have to contend with their own self-emphasizing glass ceiling on the way to attaining senior leadership positions. In believing that they are not equal to the task either physically or psychologically and then do not take up challenging roles and responsibility. They have few role models or fore bearers and therefore fear making mistakes or letting down their team.
Unlike men, women’s lives are almost entirely affected by such life changing events as marriage; motherhood and the challenge of maintain a home. The presumed effect is so much so that many armies do not allow female military to get married and still remain in the armed forces. The challenges of being a soldier mum as opposed to being a soccer mum has resulted on many brilliant women officers to quit the armed forces in order to pursue a less demanding occupation (Military women profile, 1995).
The future is bright for women in leadership positions and this has been proved in the highest offices in the land yet let the new generation fall into the same trap that feminists. In the seventies who equated success with beating men at every game. It is important to keep in mind that women are different fundamental from men and therein lay the power of woman’s in all fields.
Men will start seeing the potential of women and instead of working against them will come to the realization that a lot more can be achieved. Women too should not regard the top as the be all and end all. The journey of getting to the top should be regarded as a learning process for all women. Every woman is encouraged to leave markers and provide a hand up advice and network with other women (Craig D. 1996).
There’s always a glass ceiling in all careers and many women have stopped at it again many more are discovering the trap door that is in every ceiling glass or no glass and moving ahead step by step in their careers. The sky is no longer the limit as many women astronomers have proved to us. We have found that we are our limits.
Bibliography
Archives of family medicine (1995); ‘Women Veteran’s experiences with domestic violence and with sexual harassment while in the military.’ Vol. 4.
Capital online: (1996); Survey finds sexual harassment in the navy and other services declines’.
Craig D., (1996); ‘New military culture: do women, blacks, and homosexuals get fair treatment’, CQ Researcher.
Military women profile, (1995); ‘Military women by the numbers.’
National academy press; (1995); ‘Recommendations for research on the health of military women.’
Navy times. (1995); Are women OK as combatants? Not really says navy survey.’
Politics: Discrimination in the military. Web.
Vistica, G. L. (1996); ‘Anchors Aweigh.’ Newsweek.
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