ABSTRACT
The situation of women in the armed forces of Western democracies has been changing during the past four decades. By the beginning of the twenty-first century, all NATO countries had admitted and increased the number of women in their armed forces; many restrictions had been lifted; women had been progressively allowed to enter military academies and given access to a wider variety of positions and functions; gender awareness had grown within most military structures; and integration policies had been designed and implemented.
