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Combat, Women in

The phrase women in combat relates to any deployment (whether in air, in navy, or on the ground) of military women in direct combat. This is a controversial issue both for military and defense policy makers and for feminists. While the biggest debates have been held around exclusion policies of women from direct combat roles in the U.S. military (i.e., ground combat exclusion), especially in the wake of the 1990-91 Gulf War, this debate has been present globally.

Historical Review

Historically, women have played an active part in military forces during wars and battles. Many historians, anthropologists, and researchers, both feminist and nonfeminist, have in recent years dedicated their time to trying to establish the extent of women's involvement in wars and combat. While many of ...

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