russian military female

Russian Military Female - From the all-female death squad led by Maria Bochkaryova during the Russian Revolution to the 588th Night Bomber Regiment, known as the Night Witches by the Nazis, during World War II, the history of women defending the Motherland is well known. Russian. Nevertheless, in modern Russia, despite the structure of the armed forces, which has expanded to one million active servicemen, the number of women is very small. Why is this so? In this piece, I argue that traditional gender roles that emphasize reproduction and high-level doubts about women's competence are key factors limiting the role of women in the Russian armed forces. Barring a shortage of military-age men, Moscow's cost-benefit analysis is unlikely to change, and an increase in the representation of women in the Russian military—proportionally or scaled—remains unlikely in the near term.

Although women served as volunteers in the Russian (and formerly Soviet) army, in November 1992 a presidential decree officially allowed women to enter service under contract. In May 2020, Defense Minister Shoigu stated that there are about 41,000 women in the Russian Armed Forces, which, according to official data, is approximately 4.26 percent of the total number of active duty. While this is a slight drop from the 2018 total (44,500), the total for Russia over the past 10 years has been fairly steady between 35,000 and 45,000. However, compared to 10 percent in the 2000s, this figure has more than halved. The current pace lags behind most Western countries; For reference, women make up 16.5 percent of the United States military. China's figure is believed to be around 9 percent.

Russian Military Female

While conscription into the Russian army is compulsory for men between the ages of 18 and 27, it does not extend to women as it does in Norway or Israel – although Duma deputies have floated the idea in the past. Women who wish to enlist in the Russian Armed Forces must undergo a modified medical examination and undergo a pregnancy test before enlistment. Foreign men are allowed to join the Russian army, which is promoted through Russian citizenship, but foreign women are not.

Young Woman In Russian Military Uniform With Rifle. Female Soldier During The Second World War. Stock Photo, Picture And Royalty Free Image. Image 55884637

Once enlisted, women serve in units with men, not in gender-segregated units. Separate barracks and toilets are provided for women, the cost of which is one of the reasons for limiting the number of women serving. Women serve in the army, air force, navy (only on certain ships) and missile forces. However, not all roles are open to women; While the number of countries allowing women to serve in combat positions is steadily increasing, Russian women are barred from front-line combat operations and are prohibited from serving on planes, submarines and tanks. Although the entire list is classified, women are also prohibited from performing the duties of a mechanic and watchman. In general, military personnel work in communications, medicine, psychology, clerks, musicians or institutional workers. Shoigu noted that 41,000 women, about 4,000 officers, including 44 colonels, are serving in the army. If there are women serving in ranks above colonel, they are not mentioned. As Roger McDermott points out, "former Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov recommended the first woman for promotion to the rank of major general in June 2012, but later fired her a few months later due to alleged incompetence." Shoigu noted that a large number of women work in civilian positions, and it should be noted that Tetiana Shevtsova holds a high position as one of the current deputy ministers of defense.

However, joining the military provides privileges for those seeking a stable source of income, health care, housing, and eventually higher education or government employment. In addition, it gives an opportunity to serve one's country. Why aren't there more women in the Russian army in a country where there is no lack of patriotism?

In part, this low rate can be explained by Russia's more traditional view of gender roles, in particular, the societal emphasis on reproduction. Even outside the military, Vladimir Putin's decree currently bans women from more than 450 occupations in several industries because of fears that too strenuous activities could prevent childbearing. Although the Department of Labor is working to reduce that number to 100 by 2021, restricted jobs will still include mining, construction, metalworking, firefighting or heavy lifting, diving, working with hazardous chemicals, welding or repair planes

The analysis shows that, despite some strengthening of the public discourse on gender equality in recent years, the attitude of Russians to gender roles actually "regressed" in favor of traditionalism. A 2020 survey by the government's VTSIOM shed significant light on gender roles and Russians' views on military service. 63% of respondents said that they do not want a girl to serve in the army, and 62% do not want

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Love to see the baby service. Interestingly, those who wanted their daughters to serve had different rationales for why it would be a good choice (13 percent to provide discipline; 11 percent to provide stability) and those who wanted their sons to serve (25 percent -) because it was a man's job. 15 percent - because it is related to the protection of the Motherland and the family). The main reason for a girl's reluctance to serve was "The army is not a woman's job, but a man's job" (42%), and the main reason for a boy's reluctance to serve was fear for his life (17%). interest). According to a 2010 study, the largest proportion of female students are financially motivated (67 percent), while only a small proportion (6 percent) are vocationally oriented.

When women, commonly referred to as the "weaker sex," serve in the Russian military, they are not immune to traditional gender stereotypes. For example, it is not uncommon for the Ministry of Defense of Russia to organize beauty contests or cooking competitions among its female representatives.

Fears of gender-based violence may also play a role, as reports of rape and sexual violence against men in the Russian military are common. Extreme practices of violence, bullying and hazing are known as

The Russian army recognizes this as a serious problem. In 2006, the Russian military reported 292 deaths

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In fact, the effort to combat hazing itself was a key factor in the decision to shorten the draft from two years. Statistics show that post-2008 military reforms have not been successful in eradicating the practice, with hundreds and sometimes thousands of incidents reported each year. According to the 2017 survey by VTCIOM.

Fear of being sent to hot spots (40 percent) is the number one factor explaining people's reluctance to join the Russian army (51 percent).

However, the problem may not be as simple as "Russian women do not want to serve." In fact, Shoigu noted that competition for military universities for women is higher than for men, with 27 women applying for each place. In many cases, women are excluded from training to get limited roles. According to a July 2020 TASS article, a woman named Yana Surgayev was rejected by military recruiters and issued a rejection letter stating that "women cannot serve in the army as drivers, mechanics, snipers or riflemen." Surgayeva sued the Ministry of Defense and the National Guard, appealing to the Supreme and Constitutional Courts, which refused to consider the case.

The ability of women to perform military duty is regularly questioned in public discourse. Russian scientists and officials argue that psychological and physical differences, such as low bone density and heightened emotionality, make women less suitable for certain roles. For example, according to military psychologist Yevhen Zovnerchuk, women are better suited to the position of head of a communications unit or nurse, because "women are more careful and attentive than men; They are better at boring, simple, mechanical work. Former chairman of the State Duma Committee on Defense, former commander of the Black Sea Fleet Admiral Volodymyr Komoyedov summed up the general feeling of women's service: "A woman can be trusted with many things: she can be a radio operator, a paratrooper. . Translator. . Of course, it is not necessary to put a woman in a tank or a fighter, but there are many places where it is much easier for a man to serve, but a woman would be appropriate.

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On the few occasions when women served as pilots or in other limited roles, they had to petition the government for special permission, even sending handwritten notes to Shoigu. At the same time, these women appear to be disproportionately covered in Russian media, reinforcing the perception that women's representation is strong and unlimited.

Some Russian women, such as Tatiana Moskalkova, Russia's High Commissioner for Human Rights, Lyudmila Ivar, President of Women's Rights in Russia, and Anna Fedorova, Vice President of the Open New Democracy Foundation.