31.05.2011                      27.Ijar, 5771                      Tag 42 des Omer

Meinung:

A female general without female soldiers

The exclusion of women from field units serves the interests of conservative forces within the army who see the integration of women as a threat to the army's capabilities.

The precedent-setting appointment of the first female major general to serve on the Israel Defense Forces General Staff has generated great excitement, as it is a major milestone in advancing gender equality in the army, the organization that epitomizes masculine superiority. Yet those tendering their congratulations – both men and, especially, women – have chosen to focus on this achievement rather than on the question of to what degree it indeed symbolizes a change in the army's character, or whether it may actually hinder this change.
It should be stated clearly that the status of women in the IDF has been in retreat in recent years. And the blame for this lies with the staff of the Ground Forces headquarters and of the Human Resources Branch, both bodies in which Orna Barbivay held senior positions….