The Obstacles Women Face in Gaining Access to Special Operations Forces

Reis, João; Gonçalves, Rafael Schepper; Menezes, Sofia; Kaczynska, Manuela

doi:10.1007/978-981-13-9155-2_23

Cited by 3 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 19 publications

(22 reference statements)

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“…However, recent research seems to shed new light on the literature, devaluing and eliminating the mentioned restrictions. As Reis et al (2020) who argue that due to some relevant changes in today's military, such as the integration of new technologies in combat operations and the valorisation of technical and intellectual abilities, there is no scientific evidence that exclude female participation in combat. On the contrary, the examples given by Reis et al (2020) show not only the feasibility of women's integration in special forces and combat operations, but evidenced that female integration should be seen as new acting opportunities in all types of military operations.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Gender Inequalities in the Military Service: A Systematic Literature Review

Reis¹,

Menezes²

2019

Sexuality & Culture

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This paper provides an in-depth analysis of the literature regarding gender inequalities in the military service. In doing so, it discloses challenges and opportunities for women's integration and finds new avenues for future research. Recent scientific research has evidenced that women still represent a growing minority in most Western militaries. Women's integration deserves equal opportunities across all branches and levels of responsibility in the military, however, their expansion to ground combat roles is still a challenge to the military and policy-makers. Scholars have also reported about the decision to increase the number of women in combat roles, as it may potentiate adverse experiences, due to closer proximity to men in circumstances with little or no privacy. Conversely, scientific research has shown that more egalitarian women reported significantly less sexual harassment victimization. Furthermore, our insights suggest that it might be fruitful to integrate women in ground combat roles as special forces' operators, with a view to induce a reduction of marginalization and sexual harassment, by gaining respect in a male-dominant culture. The presented idea should be interpreted with caution and needs to be supported by empirical research; although we are convinced that future research will be revealing and might represent a game-changing situation to women inequalities in the armed forces.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Gender Inequalities in the Military Service: A Systematic Literature Review

Reis¹,

Menezes²

2019

Sexuality & Culture

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“…An alternative to the previous suggestion is to investigate the possibility of gender inclusion training modules in the ISF, which would be useful in a male-dominated context. The challenge of integrating women into military and security forces is a hot topic in Western culture [40,41], so it is likely that the international community and NATO will also try to promote a culture of equality within the ISF-a good first step is to start on the educational/training side.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Military Training Mission in Iraq: An Exploratory Case Study Research

Reis

Nowakowska³

et al. 2020

Smart Innovation, Systems and Technologies

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The purpose of this paper is to investigate how military training is being conducted by NATO coalition forces in Iraq. Thus, the intent of this paper is to discuss the implications of existing misalignments between the military forces that are providing the training and those receiving it. To that end, we have used an exploratory case study research, which included multiple sources of data collection for corroboration and triangulation purposes. The results that emerged from the content analysis showed two types of outcomes that may be relevant to improve the military training in Iraq. The first outcome is identified as the intangible actions, which were mainly focused on social relations, with the intent of narrowing the cultural gap between the international coalition and Iraqi forces. Without surprising, a second outcome is identified as tangible actions, which were associated with training programs and the establishment of tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) relevant to small and medium military units. Future research should focus on programs of "training the trainers" in order to develop long-term teaching and move forward with sustainable Iraqi Security Forces (ISF).

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Vključevanje Žensk v Specialne Sile

Poklukar¹

2020

CMC

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Povzetek V prispevku ugotavljamo, da kljub prepoznavanju prednosti žensk pri izvajanju posebnih nalog specialnih sil še vedno ostaja precej vprašanj glede oblikovanja mešanih sestavov. Največje vprašanje predstavlja ohranjanje strogih fizičnih izbirnih meril za oba spola, ki po eni strani pomembno prispevajo k vzdrževanju kohezivnosti enote in njene elitnosti v oboroženih silah ter družbi, po drugi strani pa zmanjšujejo njeno dostopnost fizično šibkejšemu spolu. Premiki k vključevanju žensk v specialne sile so se v nekaterih državah že zgodili, v nobeni izmed teh držav pa s temi pristopi ne želijo oslabiti poslanstva in statusa specialnih sil. Prav to smo na podlagi izvedenih intervjujev ugotovili tudi na primeru Enote za specialno delovanje Slovenske vojske. Ključne besede specialne sile, ženske v specialnih silah, izbirni postopek. Abstract The article notes that although the advantage of gender integration in the conduct of special assignments has been identified, there remains a considerable dilemma with regard to the formation of mixed-gender structures. The primary concern is to maintain strict physical selection criteria for both genders. These, on the one hand, make an important contribution to maintaining the cohesiveness of the unit and enabling members of the Special Forces to preserve their status of elite forces within the armed forces and the society, and, on the other hand, reduce their accessibility for a physically weaker gender. Some states have already accomplished partial shifts in the integration of women into Special Forces. Yet, through such measures, none of these states intend, by no means, to weaken the mission and status of Special Forces. Based on the conducted interviews, the above-stated findings were established in the case of the Special Operations Forces of the Slovenian Armed Forces. Key words Special Forces, women in Special Forces, selection process.

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The Obstacles Women Face in Gaining Access to Special Operations Forces

Cited by 3 publications

References 19 publications

Gender Inequalities in the Military Service: A Systematic Literature Review

Gender Inequalities in the Military Service: A Systematic Literature Review

Military Training Mission in Iraq: An Exploratory Case Study Research

Vključevanje Žensk v Specialne Sile

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