The introduction of women into the armed forces is the fruit of a long historical process which has had to deal with a society marked by deep-rooted prejudices about the feminine condition. It took until the second half of the twentieth century for attitudes to change and allow a wider place for women in this male bastion. In a well-documented article, Michel Klen analyses this sociological process and puts forward his thoughts on the problems associated with the arrival of women in almost all military posts.
The Place of Women in the Armed Forces
Military matters and the integration of civilians into the armed forces have long been considered the preserve of the male population. Mars, the god of war, seemed to ban descendents of Venus from his domain. Our societies have persistently held this ‘sexualized’ vision and believed that sending women into an operational theatre was incompatible with the feminine condition. However, from the Amazons of antiquity onwards, history is full of examples of female combatants who have defied prejudices firmly anchored in the collective imagination to prove that they were capable of risking their lives for a cause on the battlefield, on land and in the air, as well as in resistance networks and in medical support roles, and of demonstrating their bravery, endurance and leadership.
The idea that half of humanity was intended solely for child-bearing and house-keeping is now out of date. Women’s insistence nowadays on being considered as full participants in contemporary debate includes all major topics, especially defence. To appreciate the issues raised by this development, it is necessary to look back at some historical data.
The Tide of History
The symbolism of the female soldier has existed since the dawn of time. The first references concern the Amazons, whose martial exploits were reported by the great authors of antiquity Homer, Herodotus and Aeschylus. In the Middle Ages, following the example of Paris, which glorified Genevieve for having protected it from the Hun invasion of 451, many towns referred to female warriors who fought to ensure the freedom of their inhabitants. Hennebont in the Morbihan region of France still commemorates Jeanne de Montfort, who saved the Brittany town by breaking through the encircling troops of Charles de Blois and returning with substantial military reinforcements. Beauvais celebrates Jeanne Hachette every year in the square which bears her name and houses her impressive statue. This chief town of the Oise department reminds the population that this warrior actively participated in the defence of the town besieged in 1472 by the host of Charles the Bold. Orleans still shows its gratitude to Joan of Arc, who liberated the town in 1429 from the English. In the convulsions of the time, the tide of history led the population to praise local heroines and make them into historical figures.
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