Lietuvos nuolatinės privalomosios pradinės karo tarnybos karių stereotipinės nuostatos dėl moterų karių

LTStraipsnyje aptariama lyčių lygybės politikos karinėje tarnyboje svarba. Atsižvelgiant į nesąmoningo šališkumo prieigą siekiama išsiaiškinti, ar ir kokių stereotipų Lietuvos nuolatinės privalomosios pradinės karo tarnybos (NPPKT) kariai (ne)palaiko dėl moteriškos lyties, bei atskleisti, su kokiu požiūriu NPPKT karės susiduria tarnyboje dėl stereotipinių nuostatų. Straipsnyje analizuojama lyčių lygybės problematika dviejuose kontekstuose: lyčių lygybės karo tarnyboje demokratinio vertingumo ir skirtingų lyčių tarnybos karinio poreikio bei pasirengimo. Antrasis kontekstas reikšmingai kontrastuoja pirmojo konteksto atžvilgiu, ypač žvelgiant tradiciškai – karo tarnybos prasmė yra efektyvaus saugumo užtikrinimas ir gynyba, o ne efektyvi lyčių lygybė. Straipsnyje analizuojama, kaip stereotipinės nuostatos dėl moters lyties minėtą tradiciją palaiko. Remiantis empirinio tyrimo rezultatais pastebėta, kad stereotipai NPPKT karių vis dar palaikomi, nors ir nevienodai karių savanorių ir karių prievolininkų. Dominuojanti stereotipinė nuostata – moterų karių rizika patirti priekabiavimą ar seksualinį smurtą gerokai didesnė. Karės susiduria su stereotipinėmis nuostatomis, jų manymu, to palaikymo priežastys gali būti asmenų amžius, iš praeities „atsineštos“ stereotipinės nuostatos, išsilavinimas. Pagrindiniai žodžiai: lyčių lygybės politika, karė, nuolatinė privalomoji pradinė karo tarnyba, stereotipinės nuostatos. [Iš leidinio]

ENThe formation of military service is an issue relevant to all countries and all societies. In modern military organisational and technological settings, both universal military service and large armies in general are an imperative. The paper analyses gender equality issues in the following two significant contexts: the democratic value of gender equality in the military service, and the need and readiness of the military to accommodate different genders. The latter context is in stark contrast with the former two, especially given the traditional point of view that military service is meant to ensure effective security and defence, rather than the effective implementation of gender equality. In any case, however, compulsory initial military service is broadly linked to the question of political equality. This context makes the engagement of women in the military all the more controversial: there is no military or technical necessity for women to be engaged, but there is a democratic demand for this arising from the tenets of human rights and freedoms, as well as gender equality. Moreover, a number of stereotypes persist in challenging the engagement of women in military service. Therefore, the present study uses the unconscious bias approach for finding out whether soldiers in compulsory initial military service in Lithuania have any stereotypes concerning women, what the stereotypes are, and what women soldiers face in terms of perception and stereotypical attitudes to their engagement in military service. Women have long served in various capacities in the army. However, they are rarely recognised in the military for their bravery, strength, resilience and excellence in service. Stereotypes about women in the military persist because of the attitudes and perceptions of the qualities that should characterise a soldier. Gender stereotypes cause and justify gender inequality.Conscious and unconscious support for gender stereotypes in the military is associated with certain behaviours. Military culture is a culture created by people. Maintaining a unidirectional internal military culture undermines women’s interests not only at a professional level but also in military structures in a broader sense. With regard to the specificities of military service, the following prevailing stereotypes about women in the military can be identified: women lack physical strength; women are poor leaders; women are not aggressive enough for combat; women and men find it difficult to cooperate; women can be protected by being excluded from military action and from service in the armed forces; women face a greater risk of harassment and sexual violence in the military compared to other jobs. Academic literature suggests that gender diversity contributes to close and trustbased cooperation between society and the military, and attracts new recruits to the military, where all soldiers can contribute, develop and maximise their potential in ensuring national security. This transformation benefits not only the institution itself but also society in general. The results of the study suggest that the dominant stereotypical attitude is that female soldiers may be at greater risk of harassment and sexual violence. However, this perception is difficult to substantiate due to the lack of empirical research. At the same time, it should be noted that women are likely to face this risk in any role they take on. There have also been significant discrepancies in stereotypical attitudes to women’s leadership in military service among volunteers in compulsory initial military service on one hand, and conscripts on the other. Conscripts believe that women in the military are inferior leaders to men. It should be underlined that the topic of women’s leadership in the military is currently gaining momentum at the Nato level.Interviews with women soldiers in compulsory initial military service have revealed that women soldiers are confronted with a range of perceptions and stereotypical attitudes to women in military service, depending on the age, stereotypical attitudes from past settings, and the educational background of those who hold them. From the point of view of women soldiers, permanent compulsory initial military service should be seen as an option, not an obligation, for women soldiers. The results of the survey are indicative of a certain trend towards the merely formal implementation of gender equality policy in Lithuanian military service. Concurrently, they reflect the inconsistency of political attitudes towards gender equality in the Lithuanian armed forces. Given that ensuring gender equality has a positive impact on the productivity, innovation and efficiency of military service, as well as contributing to the promotion of human rights and freedom, and overall democratisation in the country, gender equality needs to be given a higher priority. Keywords: gender equality policy, women soldiers, mandatory initial military service, stereotypical attitudes. [From the publication]

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