Written by Kavina Howard
**DISCLAIMER: All comments expressed in this blog are thoughts and opinions. These comments do not reflect the views of the United States Air Force, the Department of Defense, or the US Government.**
Women in the military face unique challenges. There are policies in place to help protect women from unfortunate circumstances. The military is also usually quick to discipline those who do not follow those procedures. However, I feel that more should be done as far as belittlement is concerned. These women deserve to be heard and taken seriously. Especially in dangerous jobs such as this. One wrong move or refusing to follow an order from a woman could be the difference between life and death. One day I hope that this problem will be solved.
During the interview, I asked my participant about her personal experiences. She felt that she was treated differently due to being a female. She did not want to be perceived as another pretty face that used her looks to get the accolades she wanted. Therefore, she decided to be sterner in her leadership role. Men would try to belittle her because she was a woman however, these same men would not keep the same energy when dealing with an equally ranked male. “Nixon said, “I don’t think a woman should be in any government job whatsoever...mainly because they are erratic. And emotional. Men are erratic and emotional, too, but the point is a woman is more likely to be” (Women and the Labyrinth of Leadership). Nixon’s comments about women in government jobs couldn’t be further from the truth.
My interviewee taking the stern approach may have been seen as negative by her superiors. However, this is the perfect approach. Clearly, the men in her stories were not trying to give her the respect she deserves. From my interactions with her during my time in service, she was very reasonable. At no point did I feel that she was doing too much. Honestly, whenever she called me down to the office, I was concerned because I knew I was about to be given a good talking to. However, her approach was never malicious, she treated me with respect, and I came out as a better person. What’s even better about this is that my fellow Airmen felt the same way. We all knew she only wanted the best for us. If we didn’t thank her in person, we remember how she made us feel. That is how I know that her approach was a good one. My Wingmen and I respected her as a Sergeant and as a person for how she treated us.
There were also times where she had to challenge her superiors. A lot of Airmen feel that it is wrong to challenge their leadership. This was not the case for my interviewee. She is never afraid to challenge anyone simply because it is the right thing to do. She told me of a high-ranking officer that would stalk and harass her during a deployment. Thankfully, she said that she had great leadership that took care of the issue and he never bothered her again. She said that she learned a lot from them during her time on deployment and I’m sure she carries that with her during her tenure as a leader in the Air Force. All too often this kind of story is overlooked. The woman is told that she is overreacting. That she should give the guy a shot since he is so fond of her. Proper steps to ensure the safety of that woman in her workplace are not taken. She is then left with two options. Deal with the harassment knowing that no one will help her or quit her job completely. Why is that? I know that this situation is present in the civilian workforce as well. We must do a better job at enforcing policies that protect women. Not everyone is fortunate enough to have competent leadership.
“I don’t have a traditionally female way of speaking….I’m quite assertive. If I didn’t speak the way I do, I wouldn’t have been seen as a leader. But my way of speaking may have grated on people who were not used to hearing it from a woman” (Women and the Labyrinth of Leadership). There used to be a subordinate of hers that was a male, had a longer time in service, and was older than she was. She mentioned that he did not care for a female being over him. He also attempted to use his civilian management experience to prove that he was the better leader. “Essentially, a set of widely shared conscious and unconscious mental associations about women, men, and leaders. Study after study has affirmed that people associate women and men with different traits and link men with more of the traits that connote leadership” (Women and the Labyrinth of Leadership). In the military, what you did as a civilian does not erase the policies, procedures, and customs and courtesies.
When people think about the military, they often think of dirt covered men in a distant land. Perhaps they think about a guy in a sharp blues uniform, fresh haircut, and shoes so shiny the sun would be jealous. Even leadership roles prominently display men. Today, there has been more effort to include women in careers, commercials, and recruitment. We now see women on the front lines, in commercials as pilots, and taking roles like Chief Master Sergeant. However, is it all just a band-aid? Behind all the Instagram pictures, photo ops, and official statements, what is underneath? I had the opportunity to interview someone from the Air Force who will remain anonymous. Many of the challenges she has faced are unfortunately an all-too-common narrative in the military community as well as the civilian world.
**DISCLAIMER: All comments expressed in this blog are thoughts and opinions. These comments do not reflect the views of the United States Air Force, the Department of Defense, or the US Government.**
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