The authors made several poignant points about the relationship between
women and the military. As feminists, it is important for women to have equal
opportunity and access to opportunities that men have been able to obtain.
However, there is also danger for women in the military when they are able to
enlist and be part of the organization along with their male counterparts. The
authors talk about how women in the military are exposed to abuse and assault
perpetuated by their fellow soldiers (10). They also pointed out that women
back home are the ones who suffer and carry the burdens of war.
Throughout our semester, we’ve discussed that poverty is prevalent among
women and women often are in need of services. This article points out that
women suffer during war both at home and within countries targeted. People in other countries are
killed by the U.S and women in the U.S are unable to receive access to services
because of increasing costs for war (10). It’s ridiculous to think that the
money that is going to military in order to “protect” us is also what causes
damage to people in our country and harms women and other marginalized people. Those who need to be “protected”
are the ones in danger from the very same people who supposedly protect our
country.
It is also women in other countries who are being harmed by the U.S “protecting”
themselves and creating “peace.” Women and queer people are killed and raped in order for the
U.S military to create a false sense of international safety. Money that could
be invested into the livelihoods and wellbeing of women in the U.S who
desperately need it, is instead being funneled into a system that perpetuates
harm and violence against people all over the world.
It’s ridiculous that people at home can be denied benefits in order to
fund a violent institution. The authors did a good job in pointing out how
military practices are hypocritical and do more harm than good. I’ve seen the
argument that feminists who argue for equal pay should also argue for women
being forced to enlist in the draft. In many people’s minds, feminism simply
means women being equal to men, when in fact it is much more than that.
Enlisting in the draft and being part of an imperialist system like the
military is not feminist. The military displaces people all over the world and like
I mentioned, the military is an instigator of violence on women.
If the military is part of a system that often instigates violence towards women, children, and queer folk, can it also be feminist to join the army?
I'm glad you focused on this issue brought forth by Riley, Mohanty, and Pratt, in that there has been "feminist" discourse on war, that has actually been in support of war despite the significant cost of life. But, as they say, this is only the popularized, more public view and that form of feminism is only reflective of a toxic sector, as feminism like most frameworks, is not monolithic. However, as it being the one in the more public view due to its alignment with neoliberalism, it overshadows the work of anti-imperialist feminism which points out the contradictions of war and US involvement. These pro-war feminists act as though it is the US's job to "save" women through war as you pointed to, but in reality the US military is killing and displacing women. The US military and the US nation-state in general is a vicious, global terror that acts as though it is a hero and we must refuse to support this heinous violence.
ReplyDeleteIt is so frustrating once one starts to look at how many times the united states uses the "rescuing" of women of color as a benefit to go into another country (4). When if you actually think about it they enter another country and instead of "rescuing" these women they kill them off along with the children. this goes into the whole Orientalism and war lens in which they use war as a justification. Even feminist who say that they want to go into helping these women are not really feminist because they are justifying war and killing other women across the world.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading your blog post and question, I came to the decision that to some audience joining the military can be a feminist act because it is challenging that idea of only men can be strong, violent and brave. However, the army does gender women and cause a negative impact on their roles within the military. Like the Feminism and War confronting US imperialism states, a woman's "experience of war and their participation in it... are influences by the construction of gender operating in and around their lives" (Riley, R., Mohanty, C., P, M., pg. 6). This goes to show how women can change the social construct of women in the military by joining it and showing a different role which is a feminist act. With that being said, I believe it all depends on the type of person you are. If you believe this is a feminist act, then you are being a feminist by joining the army.
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