Norway becomes first NATO country to draft women into military

Submitted by Mastodon on Sun, 2013-06-23 18:05

Story here. Excerpt:

'(Reuters) - Norway's parliament voted overwhelmingly on Friday to conscript women into its armed forces, becoming the first European and first NATO country to make military service compulsory for both genders.

"Rights and duties should be the same for all," said Labor lawmaker Laila Gustavsen, a supporter of the bill. "The armed forces need access to the best resources, regardless of gender, and right now mostly men are recruited."
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Women already serve in the military, but do so of their own volition. They make up a tenth of the armed forces, according to the ministry of defense.

The change is not expected to force women to serve against their will but should help improve the gender balance.

All young people can be conscripted in theory, but since the end of the Cold War the Norwegian armed forces have become more selective in choosing conscripts as their needs have changed.

Those who do not want to serve can often find a reason, such as university studies, to avoid the draft.

"In theory, it is possible (women would have to serve against their will), just as it can happen to men," Gustavsen said.'

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Comments

... will it *actually* result in EQUAL numbers of men and women in uniform *and* in combat positions?

Devil's in the details.

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Submitted by Matt on Sun, 2013-06-23 20:03

Does it need to? Do we advocate for equality of outcome or opportunity?

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Submitted by Kratch on Mon, 2013-06-24 03:18

... is relevant in this case. While some ppl view combat roles as an opportunity, others see it as an unpleasant obligation (understandably). If going into combat were by most ppl's standards an opportunity, nations wouldn't feel the necessity of having either a standing draft or an ad-hoc draft to be activated as perceived need arises.

In this case, the context is one of obligation, since it's a draft in question. So the question is this: will female draftees be compelled into combat roles in equal numbers as males? That's equality of obligation. Opportunity doesn't apply here.

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Submitted by Matt on Mon, 2013-06-24 03:50

...or else it is a sham. We are not talking about outcomes based on personal ambitions and skills. Rather, we are talking about a system whereby service is required. That is, the "outcome" is pre-determined: you WILL serve. So, if women do not face this same obligation, proportional to their eligible population, then the system is a fraud.

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Submitted by StayingFit on Mon, 2013-06-24 07:53