Summary of Article: For the last few years, Israel women doing their compulsory military service in the Border police complained of discrimination; mainly, that they served as guards while men got to learn combat and do "real" border police work, which is thwarting terrorist attacks. As a result, women also could not become officers and rise in the ranks. Women were already serving in combat positions in the army, but similar opportunities were lacking in the border police force, known as being particularly misogynistic. Women demanded reforms and in July 2012, women got their own police unit, a special unit in
Jerusalem comprised only of women. Their job is to catch potential
terrorists and thwart terrorist attacks. Women in the unit are much happier now.
Discussion with Kids:
- What happens when you graduate high school in America? (Most people go to college.) What happens when you graduate in Israel? (Boys serve 3 years in the army; girls serve 2 years as soldiers or doing national service; then they go to college).
- What are some jobs in the Israeli army? (Soldier, navy, intelligence, clerical, training soldiers). Women and men do many of the same jobs. Women are even fighters. There is one unit of the army called the Border Police. Their job is to stop bad guys.
- Explain article summary.
- If you were in the Israeli army, what would you want to be? What do you think is hard about being in the army? What do you think is great about being in the Israeli army?
- For pictures of the women fighters, click here.
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