Tackling Gender Issues in the IDF
At the age of 18 all Israelis must enlist in the IDF. Women have played an integral role in the IDF since its founding in 1948. While they started traditional roles, such as teachers, nurses, and secretaries, women can now serve in 85% of all army positions. In fact, 15% of women in the IDF serve in positions that were previously only open to men. The Advisor to the Chief of the General Staff on Gender Issues Unit is working diligently to ensure that soldiers are treated equally.
15.02.18
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Lieutenant Colonel Oshrat, who started her IDF service in the Field Observers Unit, serves as the Deputy Advisor to the Chief of the General Staff on Gender Issues and helps integrate women and transgender people into the IDF. “In my position, I deal with a lot of different issues, one of which is opportunities for women in the army. This means helping women rise up through the ranks and enter new positions. The second thing is preventing sexual harassment in the army. I also help assimilate transgender people in the army.” Lt. Col. Oshrat is one of the many people helping eliminate gender discrimination in the IDF.
Lt. Col. Oshrat
Lt. Col. Oshrat also plays a key role in helping soldiers in need of emotional support. “I’m the head of the Center for Coping and Support, which helps care for anyone who is been affected by sexual harassment, unplanned pregnancies, or domestic violence.”
She isn’t just a hard-working IDF officer, Lt. Col. Oshrat’s also a mother. She says it can be challenging to balance work and family, but she and her daughter are able to spend time together.
Lt. Col. Oshrat is one of many mothers serving as officers in the IDF. She emphasized the importance of giving it her all and how it helped her move forward in her career. “First off all, I think that every woman that enlists to the army needs to bring her whole self: her abilities, her desire to give back, her motivation. Where ever she is, she always needs to strive to go as far as possible.”
As the Deputy Advisor to the Chief of the General Staff on Gender Issues and the head of Center for Coping and Support, Lt. Col. Oshrat serves as an example for young people joining the army and those who are looking to advance in their careers while raising a family.
