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The first example should be drawn from Canada’s experience in Afghanistan. Military interventions need to engage with every segment of the population because security threats vary from group to group. For instance, while Afghan men take up arms and fight on the battlefield, women and children stay back home but face security risks that are ignored if there are no female soldiers on site to respond to community-level security concerns. NATO allies deployed female engagement teams that were created to do just that. This strategy paid off and showcased what women can bring to the fight.

Acknowledging the security risks and threats faced by the whole population, rather than just the fighting population, is sound military strategy. This realization has been enshrined in UN Security Council Resolution 1325 and is influencing the way the Canadian government will make policy in the future. NATO also continues to implement that vision with its Women, Peace and Security initiative.

For the military to be at its strongest, it should recruit from the most diverse pool of applicants. The CAF have an interest in making military careers more attractive to women.

One way to achieve this is to redefine job requirements in the military to better reflect the physical standards that are actually needed for the job. The new physical aptitude test, called the FORCE evaluation, is an encouraging development. Reviewing job-specific fitness requirements goes a step further. Yes, that sometimes means adjusting the physical standards for certain positions so that the most qualified person (but not necessarily strongest physically) can accomplish it. Our cyberwarriors need not benchpress 400 pounds, but must have the acumen to operate on several different digital platforms. Opening jobs this way means more applicants and more competition for the position. It strengthens the military by increasing the recruitment pool, which makes sense for a country with an aging population. The military needs to recruit more women.