Equal Means Equal Everywhere, Even the Battlefield

Many people today are focused on helping women reach the top of the corporate ladder, but we forget about discrimination against women in the military. Since Russia invaded Ukraine, Americans have been wondering if we will have to join the war. If we do and if there's a draft, there could be women who are capable of helping Ukraine, but we would never know it if they are not included. Of course, most would prefer not to be forced into war because of the physical and emotional battles it puts people through. However, I believe that if men must live with the possibility of being drafted, women should too, and the military would improve dramatically with women lending their talents. Throughout history, women have been excused from the draft, and it is time to change that.  

If we are aiming towards equality, we cannot stop until women share the same struggles as men. One definition of equality is “the state of being equal, especially in status, rights, and opportunities.” In today’s world, women have a right that men do not have: the right to be excluded from wartime drafts. If we want true equality, we cannot pick and choose which parts of it we want. Equality comes with positive and negative effects, but if we do not all experience these effects, we will never be truly equal.  

If women could get drafted, it could greatly benefit the military and each woman who joins. There are probably many women who are better at strategizing and fighting than most men are, but they would not be drafted. Instead, the men that they outsmart would be chosen to protect our country, which would make our military weaker. Not only would more quality soldiers make up the military if women are drafted, but our recruiting-challenged military could grow. In World War II, Russia’s army beat Germany partly because of its massive size. This was because women were included in the army, so the Germans ended up fighting twice the number of people they expected. Our military would be much greater in size if more women were included, which would strengthen it. If women were drafted, it would not only help the military, but it could also improve the lives of the women who get drafted. More women need to learn self-defense skills to avoid dangerous situations, and the military can provide that. If women were drafted, we could find more brilliant problem-solvers that could help us fight, and women could learn to defend themselves better.  

Many people argue that women need to stay home and that it is dangerous for them to be in the military, but every soldier will go through his or her own battles, and this is no different. Men are naturally stronger, but as I said, the military would teach women self-defense skills so they would be just as capable as men. Another obstacle for women in the army is rape and harassment. Personally, I believe that this is not an issue that women should have to pay the price for. Instead, the military should discharge any man who does these things. One more argument that people make is that women need to stay home with their children because kids need mothers. Women should be allowed to protect their children from the battlefield instead of being limited to protecting them from home. Plus, it is also important for kids to have a father, but men still fight. If women were drafted, they would find a way to overcome the obstacles, just as women in the military do now.

While most people refuse to believe that women can fend for themselves on the battlefield, I choose to believe that equality does not come without a fight. Although there are many obstacles in the way, the more bullets someone dodges, the better they get at dodging them. Women could go to war and be much better than men at fighting and strategizing, but we will never know it if they do not get equal opportunities. Plus, women will never be seen as equal unless they take on the struggles that men take on. To make progress, we must realize that women belong on the battlefield, just like men.