Gender Equality In States' Armed Forces: Comparative And Legal Study

Abstract

The urgency of the study is stipulated by the existing problem of gender inequality in the armed forces, in particular, by the necessity to pay attention to the professional potential of female military personnel, as well as the effectiveness of military operations with their participation. The aim of the article is to disclose the most common challenges faced by women during military service based on the results of the gender equality state's analysis in the armed forces of various countries and to develop suggestions for their solutions. An analysis of the historical role of women in various states' armed forces and gender stereotypes regarding multiform restrictions on the women's service in the armed forces' subunits laid the foundations of this study. Considerable attention was paid to knowledge of international treaties, international organizations' acts and judicial bodies' decisions, the provisions which determine the legal status of women during armed conflicts and are used by states to improve legislation and change public stereotypes about the status of female military personnel. The use of the comparative method allowed to compare the existing doctrinal approaches to the women's gender equality concept in the modern states' armed forces, determine the quantitative rates of women's service in the armed forces of various states and analyze the most common challenges faced by female military personnel in the time of service. The analysis of scientific papers on women's gender equality issues in the states' armed forces shows that there are various problems faced by female military personnel at the time of their service. In order to solve gender inequalities in the armed forces, their Ministries of Defense should introduce measures promoting women's rights in the armed forces. Successful implementation of this goal requires the solution of a number of tasks, including the eradication of the following cases: bullying; morally outdated double and inconsistent standards' application; sexual harassment and assaults on women; the application of any stereotypes about the violation of women's equal rights to serve in the armed forces on par with men, etc.