The term Women and Battlefield is quite fascinating to talk about. Women are mothers, sisters, daughters and wives. But more importantly these women were warriors, serving on the front lines of armed conflicts, equally working as peacekeepers in the world. Though outnumbered by their male colleagues in battle, the determination of these fierce female fighters stands tall, making an indelible mark on history, and sometimes making the ultimate sacrifice.
Often till a century ago, woman in the military were often a very rare case. But all that is slowly changing though. Combat, heroism and fighting to save lives, is not only reserved for military men. The fact says that there are numerous female fighters and they have changed the way people think about fighting like a girl.
Join us as we explore some of the most bad-ass female soldiers on the planet.
Meet Lance Corporal Kylie Watson.
When talking about Watson, we do remember for her heroism and efforts to make sure that her fellow colleagues are safe at all times. We know being in combat is challenging, but it takes an extra-ordinary person to be adamant enough to put the life before others and every given moment. Here are a few quick moments about Watson. She was just 23 old with five feet height when she joined the army in 2006. After studying battlefield medicine, she joined the royal army medical core in 2007. While on her first tour in Afghanistan, Watson saved the life of two of her fellow colleagues. Her troops came under fire while they were patrolling, and one of her colleague got injured. Watson did not run for cover however. She knew she had to help everyone who was hurt. So she ran across 70 meters of open ground to get to her fellow soldiers. Because of her medical expertise and incredible courage, she managed to stop the bleeding and splinted his broken pelvis and waited beside him until the helicopter came to evacuate him out. And this happened all on while they were completely on open ground and on easy target. But Watson did not just do one time. 6 months after the first incident, the story would repeat itself. Watson gave medical care for 20 minutes to one of her injured fellow soldiers, instead of taking coverage and saving herself from open fire. Her bravery and passion for helping others, earned her the military cross award in 2011 and the world five list awards for being the bad-ass female soldier. When she was awarded the military cross, Watson asked the supervisor if she was in trouble and they were sure that they have the right soldier, showing her humble and down to earth character. Well, she is the 4th woman that has ever earned the military cross award.
Another influential woman Major Mary Jennings Hegar
Since her childhood days, Mary had a keen passion to to be an air-force pilot. Her life stories quite a special one and most definitely a bad-ass. Influenced by her special character Han Solo, Hegar is one of the well-known soldiers. And rumor has that, Angelina Jolie herself wanted to portray the character of Jennings Hegar.
Here are some more important things to know about Hegar. In 2009, one of her fellow air-force pilot would be shot during a mission. And Hegar was only on her 3rd tour at Afghanistan. She was wounded, but that did not stop her to help her crew member. She took off her plane and moved into the next pick up point. While waiting 20 minutes for their rescue, they were attacked again. And as they were being lifted off, Hegar would use helicopter weaponry to defend her crew and clear off the path for a safe take off. She was the 6th woman in history to receive the Distinguished Flying Cross. But that is not the end of her chivalry. In 2012, she found the sued against secretary of defense for keeping women excluded from the combat exclusion policy, and she won allowing other women to give recognized for their heroism. Her story let to a blog title Shoot Like A Girl and her determination to make a difference in the military world as a female is one of the most inspiring we have ever seen.
Hence, it is likely to state that, when one woman rises, she makes the way for every woman.
More Important Roles during World War-I
Women worked in munitions factories, as nursing became a major role starting in the mid-19th Century. When World War-I (1914-18) hit the entire nation, the major role was employed in the munitions factories for farming and other roles to replace men crafted for army. However, women played an important role in making the system of food rationing work. These women flared better in the army than most of the male members.
Prostitutes also played a major contribution in wars to ply their trade.
Soon after the final call of the battle of Nashville in 1864, two prostitutes took a carriage out to the battlefield. The women proceeded so far out that they were caught by Confederate cavalry men who suspected them to be spies. However, the suspects were briefly imprisoned in Franklin Tennessee, before being escorted back to Nashville.
Now as we talk about ‘Women and Battlefield’, Gunjan Saxena is the first woman to fly in a combat zone. Her major contribution in battle, doing what male soldiers were not able to, is an epitome of dedication and sheer inspiration. She is the biggest hit to our minds and will be remembered for the times to come as the first Kargil Girl.
Flight Lieutenant Gunjan Saxena is an Indian Air force officer and former helicopter pilot whose extra- ordinary courage during the 1999 Kargil War is a proud topic to be thought of, for India especially. And this all started with her personal trajectory, that became her professional achievements. Yes, she is the only woman to be part of the Kargil War.
Now let’s take a step backward to know more about Gunjan Saxena. We all know what her professional achievements are. But her personal story is that of overcoming gender discrimination both at home and at the workplace. Gunjan’s brother too dejected his sister’s ambition of becoming a pilot, also the workplace didn’t have the facility of a toilet for a woman at that point of time. Her male colleagues were terrified of working alongside her, and her immediate senior is most upset of having to deal with a woman. Well, these are the everyday internal battles she struggles, until she gets the chance to fly and shine in an actual combat zone.
Therefore, it is true to go with the statement that, “A woman is not born, but becomes a woman”.
However there more interesting examples of women withstanding.
Greta Thunberg, the school girl who stood up for her generation’s right to an environmental future. Jacinda Ardern, serving as the 40th Prime Minister of New Zealand and a leader to the Labour party since 2017, counteracting xenophobic violence in her country by aligning herself with the injured community to allow peace to occur, thereby implementing gun legislation. Such are the brave confrontations. But what if a woman chooses to fight more literally?
The revocation of Shamima Begum’s British citizenship and the labeling of her as her as an Islamic State ”Jihadi bride” exposed deep public and governmental discomfort around a woman’s or is this case a girl’s relationship with conflict.
Was she a victim or is she an agent? We can’t understand what Begum thought, chose or experienced, whether she considered herself at war or not. Her case is by no means anonymous.
On an ending note, however a woman still faces enormous societal disquiet, scrutiny and often criticisms. No matter if she gets too deliberately close to the violence or even if she doesn’t pick up a gun. So where are the sanctioned borders between women and violence, and between combat and supporting roles, and when might a woman agree to take up unintentionally as well as indistinctively in defense of herself or her values, or are Women inherently more peaceable? And can they be capable soldiers?
These questions have always been fascinating to me.
Often till a century ago, woman in the military were often a very rare case. But all that is slowly changing though. Combat, heroism and fighting to save lives, is not only reserved for military men. The fact says that there are numerous female fighters and they have changed the way people think about fighting like a girl.
Join us as we explore some of the most bad-ass female soldiers on the planet.
Meet Lance Corporal Kylie Watson.
When talking about Watson, we do remember for her heroism and efforts to make sure that her fellow colleagues are safe at all times. We know being in combat is challenging, but it takes an extra-ordinary person to be adamant enough to put the life before others and every given moment. Here are a few quick moments about Watson. She was just 23 old with five feet height when she joined the army in 2006. After studying battlefield medicine, she joined the royal army medical core in 2007. While on her first tour in Afghanistan, Watson saved the life of two of her fellow colleagues. Her troops came under fire while they were patrolling, and one of her colleague got injured. Watson did not run for cover however. She knew she had to help everyone who was hurt. So she ran across 70 meters of open ground to get to her fellow soldiers. Because of her medical expertise and incredible courage, she managed to stop the bleeding and splinted his broken pelvis and waited beside him until the helicopter came to evacuate him out. And this happened all on while they were completely on open ground and on easy target. But Watson did not just do one time. 6 months after the first incident, the story would repeat itself. Watson gave medical care for 20 minutes to one of her injured fellow soldiers, instead of taking coverage and saving herself from open fire. Her bravery and passion for helping others, earned her the military cross award in 2011 and the world five list awards for being the bad-ass female soldier. When she was awarded the military cross, Watson asked the supervisor if she was in trouble and they were sure that they have the right soldier, showing her humble and down to earth character. Well, she is the 4th woman that has ever earned the military cross award.
Another influential woman Major Mary Jennings Hegar
Since her childhood days, Mary had a keen passion to to be an air-force pilot. Her life stories quite a special one and most definitely a bad-ass. Influenced by her special character Han Solo, Hegar is one of the well-known soldiers. And rumor has that, Angelina Jolie herself wanted to portray the character of Jennings Hegar.
Here are some more important things to know about Hegar. In 2009, one of her fellow air-force pilot would be shot during a mission. And Hegar was only on her 3rd tour at Afghanistan. She was wounded, but that did not stop her to help her crew member. She took off her plane and moved into the next pick up point. While waiting 20 minutes for their rescue, they were attacked again. And as they were being lifted off, Hegar would use helicopter weaponry to defend her crew and clear off the path for a safe take off. She was the 6th woman in history to receive the Distinguished Flying Cross. But that is not the end of her chivalry. In 2012, she found the sued against secretary of defense for keeping women excluded from the combat exclusion policy, and she won allowing other women to give recognized for their heroism. Her story let to a blog title Shoot Like A Girl and her determination to make a difference in the military world as a female is one of the most inspiring we have ever seen.
Hence, it is likely to state that, when one woman rises, she makes the way for every woman.
More Important Roles during World War-I
Women worked in munitions factories, as nursing became a major role starting in the mid-19th Century. When World War-I (1914-18) hit the entire nation, the major role was employed in the munitions factories for farming and other roles to replace men crafted for army. However, women played an important role in making the system of food rationing work. These women flared better in the army than most of the male members.
Prostitutes also played a major contribution in wars to ply their trade.
Soon after the final call of the battle of Nashville in 1864, two prostitutes took a carriage out to the battlefield. The women proceeded so far out that they were caught by Confederate cavalry men who suspected them to be spies. However, the suspects were briefly imprisoned in Franklin Tennessee, before being escorted back to Nashville.
Now as we talk about ‘Women and Battlefield’, Gunjan Saxena is the first woman to fly in a combat zone. Her major contribution in battle, doing what male soldiers were not able to, is an epitome of dedication and sheer inspiration. She is the biggest hit to our minds and will be remembered for the times to come as the first Kargil Girl.
Flight Lieutenant Gunjan Saxena is an Indian Air force officer and former helicopter pilot whose extra- ordinary courage during the 1999 Kargil War is a proud topic to be thought of, for India especially. And this all started with her personal trajectory, that became her professional achievements. Yes, she is the only woman to be part of the Kargil War.
Now let’s take a step backward to know more about Gunjan Saxena. We all know what her professional achievements are. But her personal story is that of overcoming gender discrimination both at home and at the workplace. Gunjan’s brother too dejected his sister’s ambition of becoming a pilot, also the workplace didn’t have the facility of a toilet for a woman at that point of time. Her male colleagues were terrified of working alongside her, and her immediate senior is most upset of having to deal with a woman. Well, these are the everyday internal battles she struggles, until she gets the chance to fly and shine in an actual combat zone.
Therefore, it is true to go with the statement that, “A woman is not born, but becomes a woman”.
However there more interesting examples of women withstanding.
Greta Thunberg, the school girl who stood up for her generation’s right to an environmental future. Jacinda Ardern, serving as the 40th Prime Minister of New Zealand and a leader to the Labour party since 2017, counteracting xenophobic violence in her country by aligning herself with the injured community to allow peace to occur, thereby implementing gun legislation. Such are the brave confrontations. But what if a woman chooses to fight more literally?
The revocation of Shamima Begum’s British citizenship and the labeling of her as her as an Islamic State ”Jihadi bride” exposed deep public and governmental discomfort around a woman’s or is this case a girl’s relationship with conflict.
Was she a victim or is she an agent? We can’t understand what Begum thought, chose or experienced, whether she considered herself at war or not. Her case is by no means anonymous.
On an ending note, however a woman still faces enormous societal disquiet, scrutiny and often criticisms. No matter if she gets too deliberately close to the violence or even if she doesn’t pick up a gun. So where are the sanctioned borders between women and violence, and between combat and supporting roles, and when might a woman agree to take up unintentionally as well as indistinctively in defense of herself or her values, or are Women inherently more peaceable? And can they be capable soldiers?
These questions have always been fascinating to me.