Women in the Army

Press, 30 July 1986, Page 35

Women in the Army

Since July 1977, career opportunities for women in the Army have changed considerably. Prior to that date, women belonged to the New Zealand Women’s Royal Army Corps. The N.Z.W.R.A.C. (or N.Z.W.A.A.C. — Army Auxiliary Corps as it was then called) was first formed in July 1942 and many women served both in New Zealand and overseas during World War H. After the war it was decided to retain women on a permanent basis and in April 1948 the N.Z.W.A.A.C. ceased to be an auxiliary corps and became a regular corps of the New Zealand Army. In December 1976, Cabinet ratified a Defence paper on the employment of women in the Services. The aims of this paper were to provide, as far as practicable, equal employment and career opportunities and common conditions of service for men and women; remove unnecessary discrimination; reduce overheads; improve the female retention rate.

The following are some of the steps that have been taken in order to achieve these aims.

(a) Women are eligible to enter any trade, unit, formation or post subject to some specified restrictions, that is: Air Force —• aircrew training; Navy — service afloat combal ships; and Army — combat trades in Army com bat units.

(b) Women join the corps of their choice — Engineers, Ordnance Corps, Infantry, etc. (c) Women have to qualify for promotion in competition with men of their branch and trade and are subject to the same rules.

(d) Women undergo the same training and for

the same length of time. (e) Women now receive equal pay, are eligible for service housing, and in addition, whether married or single, may apply for maternity leave. For all the changes that have taken place, one very important aspect must be stressed. The Services are unique in that they must retain, even in peace time, the capability to deploy and sustain appropriate elements of the three Services on a wholly male basis. To achieve this, a practical limit must be placed on the number of women employed in

any particular branch or trade. This limit will only become clear as experience is gained. When the new policy on the employment of women was introduced, a large number of women were recruited into the Army. The recruitment of women has now been slowed down in order to make full assessment of the effects of the new policy. It is early days yet to fully assess the effects of the new policy and it is far better to proceed slowly towards a practical integration of men and women in the Army.