Ecuadorian Women in the Armed Forces: A Mirror of Society

Abstract

Nowadays, women represent a key element in the Ecuadorian Army. Gradually, the role of women in the Armed Forces becomes more professional compared to their male coworkers. The way women gets involved in the military world, has a direct correlation to the way that they behave in the civilian world and the role that woman has within the Ecuadorian society meets the role within the Military Institutions. According to ‘postmodern feminism’, it is clear and evident that the roles of both men and women are ambiguous, given that they are created and reinforced every day by every member of a society. Therefore, it is possible to say that every institution is a reflection of the society it exists in, and the case of the Ecuadorian armed forces is not the exception. The differences between men and women do exist and are definitely present; nevertheless, it must be understood that these differences were socially constructed centuries ago. The Ecuadorian armed forces use these differences to counteract the effects of war at a global level, using qualities that have been socially characterized and accepted as female qualities.