A French female soldier, center, parades with a group of French and
German soldiers during the Bastille Day parade in Paris. France claims
great success in "feminizing" its military, with among the world’s
highest percentages of women in uniform. What it hasn't done is work to
prevent sexual assault once they get there. The defense minister on
Tuesday April 15, 2014 announced the first plan to address the problem
and inflict harsher punishments on those found guilty.
PARIS, FRANCE (ASSOCIATED PRESS) — France claims great success in
increasing the proportion of women in the military. What it hasn't done
is work to prevent sexual assault once they get there.
That is about to change. The French defense
minister Jean-Yves Le Drian on Tuesday announced the country's first
plan to address the problem and inflict harsher punishments on those
found guilty. It involves reforms as basic as including sexual and moral
harassment in the military code, creating a statistical database, and
improving the barracks situation. Women make up 15 percent of French
uniformed military personnel — about the same as the U.S. and among the
highest rates in the world.
Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian also announced that three women
would join a nuclear submarine crew by 2017 — another first for France.
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