Women on the Battlefield

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This is one of those subjects that has always interested me mentally and never fails to move me emotionally. I don't address the pros & cons of a controversal debate, only try approach what is happening, in unsorted fashion as it comes out of my head.



This is a squad of Marine Lionesses. The Lionesses' were initially formed about the beginning of 2004 to conduct searches of children and female civilians in Iraq and so were among the first american women directly attached to combat units when conducting searches and operating checkpoints. The woman kneeling at far right is Cpl. Jennifer Parcell. She was killed on Febuary 7, 2007 when the Iraqi woman she was searching detonated an explosive vest.

Enya - Boadicea

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWn33l_yNBY[/youtube]

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Many countries around the world allow women to serve in the military, but the majority limit them to serving in non-combat support positions. Of developed nations, Canada, Israel, New Zealand, Denmark, Finland, France, Italy, Germany, Serbia, Sweden, Norway and Switerland allow women to serve in all or nearly all combat positions. Australia will be joining the list once it finishes a 5 year transistion plan it began last year. In most of these countries however the percentage of women in the military is still small (ranging from 5-15%) and the number in combat positions very small (1-3%). In some although women are technically allowed to serve in combat, policy has been to keep them out of it. The current trend in most of these countries is towards increasing the number or women serving in total and in combat.



This is Captain Nichola Goddard (center) of the Canadian Army. She was killed on May 17, 2006 when the LAV III armored vehicle she commanded was hit by a RPG during a firefight near Kandahar, Afganistan.


Victoria Bergsman - Sweet Child of Mine

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=neDhmV0BZ08[/youtube]

There's just something oddly beautiful about a female and a gun.

I don't think that there should be anybody on the battlefield. I feel that all the nations should drop their weapons and patch it up.

On the other hand, if those women can do the job than why not?

While most Western Culture countries are moving in a similiar direction as far as integrating women into the military fully, albeit slowly, the story in other parts of the world varies. In general most countries allow women into the military in a much more limited fashion and only in specific non-combat roles. Among undeveloped countries and especially in civil wars, insurgencies and rebellions is where one can find the most dramatic different situations where the extingent circumstances and disruption of normal life can propel women onto the battlefield voluntarily or involuntarily.

The 30 year old conflict in between Russia and the Chechnya province which has sought to become independant, saw the involvement of women in combat (on the Chechan side) almost immediately. This is not unusual in similiar cases where the revolutionaries lack all manner of resources (funds, equipment and soldiers) and women are often used in larger numbers then elsewhere in supporting roles and combat.

Chechan Woman Soldier



Suicide bombing as a military/political tactic, is now used in many regions, and sometimes accomplished by women. It has occurred in the recent wars in Iraq & Afganistan, but so far in limited numbers (about 5% of the bombings carried out by women).

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The Shahidka

By far, the most use of women suicide bombers has been in Chechnya, where they have made about 50% of the attacks. There is much conflicting information on these women and sensationalism, such as being given the the name 'Black Widows'. It is fairly well established however, that of the 45 suicide bombing attacks conducted against Russia, at least half where done by the Shahidka, and their attacks were nearly twice as lethal as their male counterparts.



Piano Version of Linkin Park's - Numb

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4cesrlcnsmw&feature=plcp[/youtube]

I like this thread very much.