joining as a woman

[peekaboo]

i have been thinking big time on joining up. but I'm a little scared, as i have been reading that women are treated badly. i read a few forums from web sites and there seems to be alot of bad stuff. i am figuring that maybe thats just the bad stories. and that there is always good and bad. can anyone give me some info on what to expect or watch out for as a woman?

 

[mo-litia]

I'd like to say there is no sexism in the military . . . but I can't.   That being said, it is probably not as bad as the media / news may have led you to believe . . . all soldiers are given sensitivity and SHARP ( Standard for Harassment and Racism Prevention) as part of their basic training these days. No smart soldier would ever be overtly sexist to a female troop . . . it would be his head on a platter.   Just remember that the only standard your leaders will ever hold you to would be your ability to do your job, regardless of sex.

A fair word of warning though; I am an infantry soldier, and there is an conspicuous shortage of women in this trade.   It is not that the men in the trade are sexist, (Some are, but they are the exception rather than the rule - we are living in the 21st century, after all!). but that many women find that the physical demands of this job are more than they like to deal with on a daily basis.    However,   I have worked with good female infantrymen before, but if this is the trade you are interested in, make sure your physical condition is top notch.   By this I mean you would be wise to strive to obtain the fitness requirements for a MALE before you join - your leaders are going to expect you to be able to perform at this standard as an infantry soldier - the kit ways the same no matter what your gender is!  

This situation would be very similar should you wish to become a combat engineer.   The other combat arms trades, (Armour and artillery),   have a higher proportion of women in their units, whereas in the support trades there is the highest concentration of women in the Army.   Every trade is different and has it's own unique challenges for it's members - look into the details before you sign the contract.

I'm not saying you should limit your options - go for whatever trade you desire; just make sure you are ready for the challenges of the field that you choose.

. . . of course as a reservist I must reccomend that you try the reserves ***SHAMELESS ENDORSEMENT !!! *** as your first type of employment with the Army. Work weekends, some weeknights, go overseas if you want, receive funding for post-secondary education, and maintain the freedoms of your civilian life! Most importantly, the reserves would give you a chance to determine your suitability for military life before you sign a long contract with the CF.

Best of luck to you.

 

[peekaboo]

to be honest i am not sure what i want to do in the military. i have been reading alot and just over all gathering information. I'm not a very strong person so its going to take a long time to get to the physical standard. and by any means i am not shooting for min requirements. i haven't even started the joining process. because i figure i want to be fit before i do. and also i want to make very sure that i know what i am getting into. by educating myself on the process and talking to people such as yourself.

i thought about joining years ago. but i went to school instead. and now 38 grand in the whole and still no good jobs around I'm kinda at a lost as to what to do. so the thought to join up came back to me. i in no way believe it will be easy. but with hard work anything can be achieved.

the more i read and learn the more i believe its a good decision.and to be honest i don't know what else to do.

 

[OLD F of S]

          Don't worry about gender, you will be judged on ability, and your desire to complete
the mission. I was around in 1973 when the forces were mandated to recuit women into the
forces. Being an old soldier I had doubts about effectivness of them serving, but was soon proven wrong. In 1975 on a tour of CFS Alert I had my first female tech, she was a tremdous addition
to the section.

          In later years as Forman of Signals of 79 com regt during the Ruwanad fiasco a senior
officer lost his sat comm equipment and I had to send a detachment with replacement gear.
The tech leader was female and she did an outstanding job, so you see it's not the sex
but the person.

                                Regards Old F of S

 

[elizabeth]

I feel as though I should pipe in here.. my being a woman and all that. I have not been in that long but the guys have been really good for not treating my like a woman. The only time I ever felt like a girl and not like a troop was once and that was the consequence of an old school RSM. My peers have no problem with my being a female. I feel as though I am treated like 'one of the guys' and I enjoy that. I remustered from Artillery to Service and (I don't want to be discrimatory against Arty boys) but I found that Service guys are even better for not treating me like a girl because there is a higher proportion of females in Service and hey, depending on your degree you may even be able to use it! Alright then, if you don't make your sex and issue neither will they. There was one female on course with me this summer who was a flirt and the guys could not stand her. They know what is appropriate and such.
So treat they guys like you want to be treated and if you don't want to be treated like a girl they won't treat you that way.
I hope that helps. If you have any other questions and wish to ask a female... feel free. Later.

 

[peekaboo]

well i don't really have a degree, i have 2 diplomas one in electronics, and another in computer studies. i don't know if they will be good or anything. i haven't joined up yet because to be honest i can't even do a full correct push-up yet. but I'm working on it. I'm starting a hard workout routine soon and watching my weight trying to trim some off. i believe it when people say you should be in the best shape possible for basic. and i don't plan to fail. so gonna be a hard 6 months of getting ready. i don't know if its even possible to go from where i am to where i want to be physically. but i will do it or die trying.

and i agree with you. its all in how you treat others, thats the way they will treat you. but its nice to hear the advice you all have been giving , its nice to know what to watch out for..

 

[Pte. Bloggins]

Just to add my own 2 cents, in my experience I have never been discriminated against in the military because I am a woman. This being said, there are often tasks that women will naturally find more difficult to do then men, be it due to the need for upper body strength or just because we are usually smaller then men are. This is not impossible to overcome however, and I've encountered several women who have been able to out-run or out-pushup (if that's even a word) many men. Just do your best, and good luck. 

 

[Gilligan]

  For the most part being in the military as a female is a good go.  Personally, I've had issues along the way with some males not giving me the time of day simply because I am female...but that happens in any occupation dominated by men for so many years, and shouldn't be that way, but can only be expected.  My advice to you is to do your best, don't go through with a chip on your shoulder, you can only do your best, and strive to achieve the level of ability that anyone else should expect to have. 
  Mo-litia is right in saying that you should work to achieve the same standard as men, although you should do that no matter what your trade.  I'm a Sig Op, and most other trades are far more physical than Signals, however, we hold the same standards as everyone else, and I am a firm believer in abolishing the double standard.  Yes, there are some women out there that really don't give it their all, and quite possibly should not be in the military, but the rest of us do what we can to get rid of the stereotype. 
  In the end, if you try your best, and do what you can to contribute, no matter how big or small, or gender you are, you will look good to the boys and your superiors.

  And yeah, if you aren't sure about it yet, work on your physical standard, and join the reserves....reserve males have a far more liberal view than reg males I find, and heck, if you don't like it you can get out, and if you really do like it, you can continue and either stay reserve, or join the regs...but don't let a bunch of stinky boys change what you want to do with your life!

Cheers,

Gilligan