Women and the Use of Military Force

With the active participation of women in the Gulf War, their role in mandating and implementing the use of military force has become a subject of heated debate. Clearly that role has changed - and expanded - greatly in the last decades. The policy-making establishment, though, continues to be predominantly male. And the obvious question remains: is there a fundamental difference in the way women and men use force and view its utilization on the international scale?;Responding to this question, the authors of this book first examine the theoretical approaches, particularly feminist approaches, to women's use of physical force. Part 2 of the book presents data on the role women actually play in the use of force - in the uniformed military, in revolutionary struggles, in the policy-making establishment, in the development of nuclear weapons, and in shaping the peace movement. The editors conclude by assessing the likely effect of increasing numbers of women decision-makers on US national security policy.