Women on the Battlefield

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One of the countries with the largest percentage of women in the military is Eritea. During it's 30 year long War of Independance (from Ethiopia) and later border war with Ethiopia (1999-2000) women on average made up about 25% of the Eritean armed forces and participated fully in all combat roles. Since becoming it's own country in 1993, Eritea is one of the few states in the world with universal compulsery conscription for both men and women.



Eritrean Woman Soldier, 2000.

In a pattern seen elsewhere in modern revolutionary armies, one of the stated goals of the revolutionary government was equal women's rights. During the conflict Women rose in the ranks to become officers, tank commanders, and into some leadership positions.



Eritean female and male Revolutionary fighters, 1984.

But also in a detectable pattern, the push for equal women's rights stagnates or even regresses once the fighting is over. The situation in Eritea is particularly grim as the new Eritrean government has become one of the most totalitarian in Africa. Women are still conscripted yearly but have been regulated into more subserviant postions and suffer rampant abuse by authorities. Many female veterans have subsequentality fled the country.
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In the Cauldron: Tales of six dutch women soldiers


Former Dutch Army soldier Monique Bergman

Monique Bergman was a member of a Dutch Battalion serving as UN Peacekeepers in Bosnia in 1995. The battalion was assigned to guard the Bosnia Muslims who had flooded into the UN 'Safe Haven' in Srebenica. When several thousand Bosian Serbs over-ran the town and the Dutch compound on 11 July 1995, the Dutch soldiers did not resist, in accordance with the Dutch government mandated Rules of Engagement. Over the next few days in Srebenica and along the refugee's path north, about 8000 Bosnian's, mostly civilian men and boys were summarily executed and uncounted number of woman assaulted and raped, sometimes in the presence of the Dutch Peacekeepers. The actions of the Dutch Peacekeepers remains extremely contraversial to this day, and directly or indirectly brought many changes to the Dutch military, including the end of conscription of men and switch over to an entirely volunteer (professional) force. It also ultimately brought down the Dutch Administartion. The majority of the Peacekeepers have experienced one or another form of mental illness since and many, if not most, are haunted by the memories to this day and will probably be as long as they live. Bergman and 11 other of the Peacekeepers returned to Srebrenica in 2007 to pay their respects at the gravesites and face the local and angry population.



Dutch Airforce Lieutenant Manja Blok

As the Bosian Serb forces approached the town of Srebenica in July 1995, the Commander of the Dutch UN Peacekeeping force in the town requested UN Air Support multiple times. Ultimately, only two aircraft, F-16s of the Dutch Air Force, participated in attempting to halt the Serb assault on the UN Safe Haven. Lt. Manja Blok was one of the pilots, and the two aircraft released their bombs on a column of Serbian Tanks approaching the town.



Dutch Navy Lieutenant Yvonne Niersman

During the confusion of the Libyan revolution the Dutch Navy attempted to extract a Dutch national working in Libya. On 27 Feb 2011, Lt. Niersman piloted her Helicopter, with two other Dutch naval personnel aboard, to a meeting site on the beach of the coastal city of Sirte, Libya. The Helicopter crew was met on arrival by armed members of Gadafi's Militia and taken into captivity. The Dutch national and a Swedish national that accompanied him were also apprehended, but released 2 days later and allowed to leave the country. Initially charged with espionage, the crew was eventually released two weeks later.



On 5 April 2010, Lt. Niersman was pilot of this Helicopter landing Dutch Marines on a German Cargo ship that had been captured by Somalian Pirates. The operation was totally successful and the German cargo ship's crew rescued.



Tanja Nijmeijer, Dutch woman member of FARC revolutionary forces, Columbia

The unusual story of how a young Dutchwoman became a FARC soldier is well known in the Netherlands and has become the subject of a book and TV series. Originally dubbed, somewhat facetiously, the 'Guerilla Chic' in the Netherlands, she has nevertheless been with the organization over 10 years and is in deadly earnest. After joining the organization she participated in bombing and arson attacks in towns on businesses that refused to finacially support FARC, which resulted in at least one fatality and several injuries to civilians. She later joined the forces operating in the jungle and rural areas and has served as an aide to leaders and interpreter in hostage interrogations. For a time she was believed to have been killed in a Columbian Government forces raid on a Farc camp, because of the resemblence of one of a woman killed in the raid in Sept, 2010. But subsequent forensic examination and a later video made by her proved she is still alive and operating with the revolutionaries.



Flight Lieutenant Daphne (Dutch Army Helicopter Pilot) and Lieutenant Anneke Kerklaan (Australian Army Enginner Commander)

This is just one of those very unusual coincidences that happens sometimes. Lt. Daphne (left) is an Australian who emigrated to the Netherlands with her family as a child and later joined the Dutch military. Lt Kerklann who was born in the Netherlands emigrated to Australia with her family as a child, later joining the Australian military. Their oddly mirror-image paths finally crossed in Afganistan where they were both deployed in Aug 2008.


Seether - Fine Again

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KK5ms-BtGz0[/youtube]

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China has not fought a war since the short Sino-Vietnamese War in 1979, but I was curious as to the combat status of women serving in the largest military in the world. Women make up about 7% of China's military and up to recently were limited to medical, support and some technical positions.


Chinese Air Force women Fighter Pilot trainees.

Over the last few years a few women have been allowed to train for a few select combat positions, such as the 16 women pilots currently training to fly China's most advanced combat plane.



Zhu Yu, a student from Minzu University of China, performs a fan dance during a recruitment interview

Another recent development is the requirement for female applicants to the military to demonstate art/talent at their screening interview.



Women marchers in the China's 60th anniversary military parade.

In addition to their ongoing and dramatic military modernization program China is also highlighting their women's presence in the military. It is unsure whether China is actually seeking to equalize women's role in the military or is primarily concerned with Public Relations. One small change noticed, is that the number one reason now given for male enlistments is 'to meet the cool looking women in the parades'.


China also has the largest spy network in the world, and uses young women in large numbers to get to know and learn information from foreign personnel.


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