The last bastion of male only positions was the submarine service but with the aquisition of the Victoria class boats, women now serve on submarines.

[ 17 May 2006: Message edited by: Bobolink ]

Combat arms (combat and combat support) were opened to women in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

More information can be found here.

As far as I know the UK has specifically decided to not integrate women into the infantry and marines. They don't have a written bill of rights so that decision cannot be challenged in the courts.

A Canadian female captain has been killed in Afghanistan today. Details are sketchy.

BULLETIN - CBC is reporting that a woman Canadian soldier has been killed in Afghanistan. She has not been identified, but was a captain in the Canadian Forces. She died during a major operation south of Kandahar.

[ 17 May 2006: Message edited by: Jimmy Brogan ]

re-Edited to add: I can't say why I'm suprised though...probably because Canada usually follows the US in these things..

[ 17 May 2006: Message edited by: Pride for Red Dolores ]

[ 17 May 2006: Message edited by: Pride for Red Dolores ]

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Originally posted by Pride for Red Dolores:

re-Edited to add: I can't say why I'm suprised though...probably because Canada usually follows the US in these things..

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Really? I may be wrong, but I've generally seen Canada as leading the US when it comes to progressive changes, and certainly when it comes to the rights of women. I could be wrong though - when did abortion become legal in Canada compared to the US?

quote:

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Originally posted by arborman:

I'm curious about the experiences of women in combat units. They (the units) run the risk of being hotspots of sexism and racism, and have been so in the past (i.e. Airborne), but I'm curious what the circumstances are now. Hopefully good, as our troops tend to be highly professional, but I'd like to know for sure.

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quote:

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I could be wrong though - when did abortion become legal in Canada compared to the US?

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It's a bit of an apples and oranges comparison, but the US basically beats Canada there. Roe v. Wade was 1973, but it only abolished restrictions in the first trimester, allowing(though not forcing) states to restrict the prodcedure in the later trimesters. However, at that point ANY Canadian woman wanting an abortion had to go in front of a review commitee, irrespective of trimester.

Canada's abortion law was struck down in 1988, and a combination of anti-choice and pro-choice senators later blocked the implementation of a law that would have been more restrictive than Roe V. Wade.

EDIT: When I said it was an "apples and oranges" comparison, what I meant was that abortion in the US is regulated by the states, within the limitations set by the Supreme Court, whereas abortion in Canada is regulated by the federal government. So prior to Roe V. Wade, some states had more liberal laws than Canada, whereas some had more restrictive laws. Following Roe v Wade, first-trimester abortion was unregulated in the US, and seond and third trimester varied from state to state. But in Canada until 1988, ALL abortions were regulated by the hospital review boards. (Admittedly, the interpretation of the guidelines probably varied from board to board).

Obviously, since Canada currently has no abortion law, abortion is less regulated in Canada than in the US.

[ 18 May 2006: Message edited by: voice of the damned ]

[ 18 May 2006: Message edited by: voice of the damned ]

[ 18 May 2006: Message edited by: voice of the damned ]

quote:

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Originally posted by WackAVole:
He never led in combat though.

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quote:

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Originally posted by Michelle:

Perhaps he felt that even in situations where women were equal to him in rank, he was "leading" them simply because he was a man and they were women?

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If equal in rank,would seniority in rank preclude a man opening the tank hatch and allowing a woman to go before him?

Is it patriachial to open the tank hatch for a woman?

[ 04 June 2006: Message edited by: Pride for Red Dolores ]- for spelling mistakes

[ 04 June 2006: Message edited by: Pride for Red Dolores ]

[ 04 June 2006: Message edited by: Pride for Red Dolores ]

Some women bleed like stuck pigs; some don't. Some alway have serious cramps, some do sometimes, some don't. It varies a lot.

I suspect Pride is male as well. I may be wrong about you, Pride; but honestly, I find it hard to believe that any woman welcomes the onset of her monthly menses as a New Agey celebration of life instead of a bloody bore that has to be dealt with.

[ 04 June 2006: Message edited by: Contrarian ]

I know a few who use that approach to avoid the problem completely.

I lived for a time on a kibbutz in Israel (It was a trendy thing to do at the time and adventurer that I was, I enlisted). Women are required just like men to serve in the Israeli army and my roomate was in the army - as a reservist of some kind. I was just a teenager then but always wondered when Canada would become as progressive - not that I support war of any kind granted.

And that raises that other question, if we are to be peacekeepers, why are we promoting war at all? Why are we supporting the so called war on terror? WW2 may well have been a "just" war (co called) but I am still glad that ppl like J.S. Woodsworth had the courage of his convictions.

Wars help the wealthy (Just ask Haliburton, Raytheon, Marconi, etc). As a former First Nations Chief who had served his country only to return home unable to vote once said to me, "You don't see many Generals on the front lines."