Navigating gendered representations inside and outside the job: an analysis of military women’s experiences within Canadian Armed Forces (CAF)’s combat units

Canada is frequently seen as a leader when it comes to women’s integration in its armed forces, the last exemption of serving on submarines being eventually lifted in 2001. Twenty years later, however, the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) still have a long way to go when it comes to social integration of women in its ranks (Winslow & Dunn, 2002). The military institution is still perceived as a masculine space, due to the fact that: « The right to fight and lead wars has until very recently been considered an exclusively male domain » (Carreiras, 2006, p. 1). Women’s inclusion in this domain still encounters oppositions, partly because of a military culture built around the image of the masculine-warrior. As Dunivin explained: « As an institution comprised primarily of men, its culture is shaped by men. Soldiering is viewed as a masculine role – the profession of war, defence, and combat is defined by society as men’s work. Thus, a deeply entrenched ‘cult of masculinity’ (with accompanying masculine norms, values, and lifestyles) pervades military culture » (1994, p. 534). This cult of a militarist masculinity, reinforced in the post 9-11 context (Lane, 2017), is at the root of unacceptable behaviours the CAF have not been exempt of. The necessity of changing military culture has been identified as one of CAF’s main priorities, as to stop problems of sexual harassment which undermine the institution (Connolly, 2020). Better apprehending the ins and outs of female experiences regarding this military culture, in particular when it comes to gendered representations, appear an important step toward this direction. As part of a postdoctoral research project, I aim to analyze how gendered stereotypes changed over time since women’s legal integration in the armed forces. It is about studying how women deal when confronted with these stereotypes and the masculinist military culture they are part of. Thus, this research aims to contribute to the research programme promoted by Duncanson and Woodward in the way that it is about: « military personnel’s self-understandings in terms of both their gendered subjectivities and their positions within gendered organizations » (2015, p. 14). More specifically, it is about the way how women evolve in a sometimes excessively masculine context – the combat units – and experience gendered representations, masculine and feminine. It is about analyzing negotiating and integration techniques between different social identities – woman, service woman, Canadian woman, etc. – depending on the context they are – professional space, private space, public space (in Canada and abroad), and depending on where they are in their career. Using an interpretative approach and more specifically the methodology of life stories, this research is based on interpersonal interviews with active members of the Canadian Armed Forces and veterans. This paper will gather the initial findings of this research.