The Ethics of Inclusion

Women have played diverse roles in military campaigns for centuries, but it was only during the twentieth century that their work with or in the Australian, British, Canadian, and U.S. armed forces became increasingly formalized, important, and permanent. Today, official declarations abound avowing the indispensability of gender inclusiveness and diversity for military effectiveness in the twenty-first-century operating environment. Today’s “militaries rely more and more on women and members of visible minority and Aboriginal groups to fill their ranks, rendering the recruitment, retention, and optimum employment of these members important to the success of the organization—from the perspectives of both operations and public accountability.” ¹