Gender, War and Militarism: Making and Questioning the Links

I love how, in this discussion of women in the military, specifically in Israel, there is a quote from Idan Halili of New Profile that brings up the very interesting and new notion that men can be refuser-heroes instead of soldier-heroes. She is discussing the concept of refusal to serve in the Army, and the fact that is not only women who are morally opposed to serving, that peace is not just a feminist movement. This is really important because labeling peace-making or peace-seeking as a feminine role limits the ability of the world to live in peace, hurts men physically, emotionally, and spiritually, and leads to the needless harm of so many men and women both. If you consider the men who tried to refuse the draft in the US, or the men who went to war but hid instead of shooting their enemies, and consider even further those men who may be morally opposed to the idea of war but feel that it is their duty as a man to serve in the armed forces, I would imagine there are many fewer men than it appears who are interested in using war as a means to resolve conflict. In addition, we might consider women who fight in an effort to change gender expectations, or to gain power or respect, but not because they actually believe in it. There are also many men and women who join the Military for financial reasons. Offering alternatives to these situations where people see their only or best answer as joining the Army is an important step towards a more peaceful world. By changing the gender expectations for men so that they do not feel obligated to fight, we would be taking a first step towards a more peaceful and more equal society.