Modern 21st Century Military Operations example essay topic

769 words
The Modern Woman A Historical Perspective Women in the 21st century have expanded their roles and positions in society, especially those that were formerly dominated by men. These areas include careers, independence, decision-making, and military combat, to name just a few. Women are still trying to prove their equality to men, but have made major strides in the last 100 years. Clearly, circumstances of family life have changed in the 21st century. The modern era has taken the woman out of the home and into the workplace. Furthermore, large families are no longer as economically practical or as socially desired.

Today's family model has changed; the traditional family structure of woman as homemaker and husband as breadwinner makes up only 10 percent of today's families. Women have made advances toward equality in their careers. For example, the modern woman may compete in the workplace for positions such as doctors, engineers, architects, and construction workers. These occupations were previously dominated by men. Today you see women climbing the corporate ladder of large companies earning salaries approaching, if not equivalent, to those of men. In the past, the "glass ceiling" was much lower.

Many more women are occupying the position of Chief Executive Officer and are even sitting on Boards of Directors. One of our local examples is Carli Fiorina who heads up Hewlett-Packard. Additionally women are not only obtaining an education for self-enrichment as was done in the past, but more women are going to college and earning degrees enabling them to advance in corporate America. In the independence and decision-making arena, other drastic changes occurred for women of the 21st century. In the past, most women did not make their own decisions with respect to finances, politics, purchases, and education. Males, such as fathers or spouses, typically made these decisions for them.

Women of today have more opportunities available to them, and can choose to be independent from their family. They are free to make their own financial decisions, such as obtaining a loan to buy a house or a vehicle, and opening a bank account. Even 50 years ago simply opening a bank account was a task typically handled by the man of the house. Today, some women maintain separate finances from their partner. In 1919, women were given the right to vote.

This was a keystone of the women's movement, and signified a large advancement in women's rights. Throughout the 20th and 21st century, women have become more involved in politics. Take our former mayor of San Francisco, Diane Feinstein. She now holds a seat in our US Senate. Another example is Sandra Day O'Connor, who is the first woman to be appointed Justice of the Supreme Court. Further advancement in the areas of independence and decision-making are exhibited by women having the ability to make personal life choices.

They are now able to study sex education, use birth control, and terminate a pregnancy if desired. In the past, society and the church would have shunned women if they were pregnant and unmarried. Additionally, women in today's world may also make the choice of cohabit ating with a man without getting married, a situation that was previously frowned upon. The roles of women in the military are also changing and gender barriers are lessening.

The military has an array of sensors, vehicles, and weapons that can be operated by remote control or are totally autonomous. What difference does gender make if she or he is trained in a particular operation? Modern 21st century military operations can be done by either gender if they are qualified. Women of today perform their duties ably and with pride as soldiers, whether or not the job is in a combat zone.

Twenty-first century military operations are being redefined. What a change from a century ago, a time when women were restricted to supporting soldiers as nurses. It took 50 years for female pilots to fly combat aircraft in the military. Currently women are an integral part of our military population. Women's roles in the 21st century have evolved significantly when considered in an historical context. Women have progressed from dependent to independent, from passive to assertive.

Women have become more active, accountable and responsible for making life decisions. These changes are ongoing and are contributing to defining the 21st century woman. Stay tuned for further developments!