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The Rhodesia Herald,

March 30, 1978 

THE myth of the Israeli woman soldier fighting Arabs alongside the men has been laid to rest by an inquiry commission, which finds that women in uniform are squarely under the thumb of male chauvinism.

Instead of wielding a rifle in battle, the female soldier more often serves as secretary to a male officer and her main job is to make coffee, reports the Government-appointed committee after two years researching the social status of Israeli women.

Only half the female populace actually joins the army, despite the compulsory two-year conscription for women. Men serve three years.

Committee head Mrs Ora Namir, says 19 percent are rejected for lack of education, 18 percent get out of service on religious grounds, and eight percent marry before the draft age of 18.

The committee found that women were used in only 210 out of 700 professions in the armed forces.

Women have not fought in the army since the 1948 Arab-Israeli war “and we don’t recommend that they start now,” says Mrs Namir.

LESSONS FOR TODAY

• Male chauvinism is a cancer that will continue to hinder women’s progress to the top and this has to be dealt with using campaigns such as the #BreakTheBias, which is the campaign theme for this year’s International Women’s Day celebrations.
• Women are capable fighters and can hold their own on the battlefield. In the war between Russia and Ukraine, women make up around 15 percent of Ukraine’s army, meaning that there are around 30 000 women currently facing Russia on the battlefield.
• There is need to set uniform conditions for all men and women in service to ensure equality.
• Women are able leaders who can do more than just serve tea in the army. Here in Zimbabwe in 2018, Colonel Ossie Oli Mhandu, who is based at Imbizo Barracks, became the first woman in the Zimbabwe Defence Forces to lead a military formation.