Military mulls altering pitch to attract more women
Shorter skirts and emphasis on social aspects
As part of efforts to entice females to serve, Canadian military officers are suggesting highlighting the social and entertaining aspects of life in the ranks as well as redesigning uniforms that women wear so skirts are shorter and slimmer.
Such initiatives, along with proposed social media posts like, “My bling are my medals” and “My war paint is camouflage” are among the various ideas the Canadian Armed Forces has come up with to solve problems in recruiting women.
Other ideas include changing recruiting messages to focus on camaraderie and highlight that the Canadian military is not just about combat but missions also involve disaster relief and peacekeeping.
The proposals from 2017, 2018 and 2019 are contained in strategy documents obtained by this newspaper through access to information law.
The Canadian Armed Forces, or CAF, has set a goal of having women fill 25 per cent of the ranks by 2026. Women currently make up 15.9 per cent.
The recruiting analysts point out that women now make up more than 50 per cent of Canada’s population. “Given the difficulties of finding fit and able applicants across the entire 17- to 30-year-old population it would be ludicrous for the CAF to exclude half the population,” one document noted.
But women are reluctant to join the military, according to the analysts, because they have a “discomfort with a profession that involves combat” and a job that has the “potential of killing people ( especially innocent people).” There are also concerns about sexual harassment in the military as well as a sense that veterans “are not well supported and often suffer from PTSD.”
In addition, young women are of the belief that a career in the military will limit their personal lives and their freedom.
A “Tiger Team” formed specifically to look at the issue of female recruitment pointed out that for almost 30 years the Canadian military has advertised itself as an employer of equal opportunity, with all occupations open for both women and men. “Yet systemic barriers remain in place, making the military a less than desirable choice for the majority of young Canadian women,” the team added.
The team pointed out problems with uniforms for women, noting that the organization which decides on the style of such clothing is for the most part “composed of middle-aged males whose outlook is not reflective of current trends among the target demographic.”
It should be mandatory that the Canadian Armed Forces Dress Committee consist of a minimum of 25 per cent women to ensure properly fitted and professional female uniforms, the team added. It also suggested modifications of the current skirt issued to women, making it shorter and slimmer, as well as changes to dress shoes provided to females.
To deal with the issue of single parents, military commanders have to be flexible in determining which personnel are sent on deployments, particularly if there are problems with obtaining child care. That recommendation came after a female sailor filed a complaint in 2017 with the Canadian Human Rights Commission alleging the navy was forcing her to choose between her child and a military career.
Research by the Canadian Armed Forces shows that 74 per cent of millennials — those born in the 1980s and 1990s — are looking for a workplace that provides flexible employment arrangements.
Advertisements aimed at the younger generation are also important. One proposal to highlight work and life balance for a young woman in the Canadian Forces called for a video showing a female soldier taking off her helmet at the end of the day while “male and female co- workers gather and agree to having a camp fire at a sandy beach.” Later they “grill marshmallows, laughing and relaxing.”
This type of video would show “friendship,” according to the Tiger Team. The video would continue, showing a male co-worker dropping the woman off at her home and waiting until she is safely inside. Such imagery would show “trust in co-workers.”
That message is aimed at reassuring women that they are safe in the ranks despite ongoing concerns about sexual assault and harassment in the Canadian Forces.
Another analysis suggested a campaign using social media posts could be produced. Ideas included a post showing a female soldier throwing a grenade with a caption, “Of course I throw like a girl but I never miss.”
The documents noted that most women in the military serve in eight occupations, including human resource administrator, financial services administrator, mobile support equipment operator, cook, medical technician, nurse and logistics officer.
If the military is going to be successful in reaching its 25 per cent goal then women are going to have to be enticed in other occupations, the documents pointed out.
While much of the effort has been to get women into select combat arms jobs, the military might have more success if it focuses on technical trades, they added.