British army to allow women soldiers in front line combat roles

This article was last updated on April 16, 2022

Canada: Oye! Times readers Get FREE $30 to spend on Amazon, Walmart…
USA: Oye! Times readers Get FREE $30 to spend on Amazon, Walmart…

British Defence Secretary Philip Hammond on Thursday has asked the military chiefs to allow women soldiers to serve in the army alongside men for the first time by taking on the front line combat roles.

Mr Hammond has announced to bring forward a planned review that was due to take place in 2018 regarding whether women should be able to join the infantry and the Armoured Corps like they are doing in some Western states.

The U.K. army currently has only permitted women to serve on the front line without being involved in units whose main function is to engage and kill opposing forces. However, its western military allies United States, Australia and Canada have lifted ban on their women to serve in army by being in close combat roles.

The U.K. Defence Secretary has told: “It’s about the signal we send that all branches of the military are open, regardless of gender.

“The image of the military, I think, is still a macho image – the last bastion of male chauvinism. The reality is very different.”

Mr Hammond has also asked to stop the debate on gender defining who could carry out what roles in the army, and that he did not anticipate resistance among the military hierarchy to expanding the number of women in the army.

The new move has been welcomed by shadow defence secretary Vernon Coaker, who has said: “We should be proud of the role played by women in our armed forces. Many of them already serve on the front line as medics, engineers, intelligence officers, fighter pilots and submariners.

“The armed forces should give the same opportunities to women as it does to men and this move will hopefully ensure that becomes the case.”

Mr Hammond has announced that the army’s Chief of the General Staff, Peter Wall will carry out the review of women’s role in combat units and the report findings are expected before the end of the year into whether the ban can be lifted in the coming years.

Article viewed on Oye! Times at www.oyetimes.com.