Women playing greater part in armed forces around world

Australian military decision on frontline roles for women following a global trend
An Italian female soldier
Women soldiers are becoming a more familiar sight around the world. Photograph: Reuters Pool/REUTERS

Women are playing an increasingly important role in the military across the world since they first began to be included in the armed forces from the early 1970s.

According to Elizabeth Quintana, head of Airpower and Technology at the Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security Studies (RUSI), there are a number of countries that allow women to have frontline roles, including Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany and Israel.

She was speaking after Australia's landmark decision to open up military frontline roles to women.

"In these countries often there are no restrictions in practice but physical constraints in areas such as combat forces or prejudice from those services that are traditionally only male can also play a factor," she said.

The British armed forces have had women on the frontline for a number of roles, such as gunners, logistics and intelligence gathering, but women have not been in the infantry.

Women cannot serve on submarines, although moves are being made to change this policy after a report found life aboard a submarine would not adversely affect pregnant women. In August this year Lieutenant Commander Sarah West, 39, became the first woman to command a frontline warship in the 500-year history of the Royal Navy.

As of 2006, according to the MOD website, 71% of jobs were available to women in the navy, 71% in the army and 96% in the RAF. Women serve in all specialisations, except those where the primary duty is "to close with and kill the enemy," it states.

Elsewhere in Europe, several countries allow women to play a major role in the military. In France women can enlist with the armed service branches, and since 1972 have shared the same ranks as men. In Germany, too, women have been eligible for voluntary service in all military branches and positions since 2001, according to the CIA World Fact book.

Women in the US armed forces hold similar positions to those in the UK. They can serve in artillery roles but are excluded from infantry units and employed in support roles such as truck drivers, gunners and medics.

However, women can serve on American combat ships, including in command roles.

According to Quintana more women are found in senior roles, thanks to encouragement within the armed forces.

"In Europe there still tends to be a more traditional attitude of what role women should play, but in America it appears to be more positive."

In 2008 Ann Dunwoody became the first woman in US military and uniformed service history to achieve a four-star officer grade.

Israel is considered the most gender-blind military in the world, with women not only able to take up every role in the military and included in a frontline infantry fighting force, but also subject to the same military conscription as men.