The military, however, is taking steps to address such disparities.

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Defense Secretary Ash Carter has lifted all gender-based restrictions on military service. Testifying at a Senate hearing on Feb. 2, Marine Corps Gen. Robert Neller and Army Gen. Mark Milley both endorsed registering women for the draft.

Yet the Selective Service continues to limit registration to only men, ages 18 through 25, a policy upheld by a 1981 Supreme Court decision. The reasoning back then was grounded upon the fact that women would not have equal chances of getting promoted in the military as men, because they could not serve in combat positions.

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And there’s the rub: Since Carter’s decision now allows American women to be eligible for combat duty, should they remain legally exempt from the draft?

Women should register for the draft. I’m saying this as a female college student with my life ahead of me.

It would be a whole lot easier if I weren’t required to register and could make the choice to move forward with my life without the burden of military service. But that wouldn’t be fair.

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Requiring women to register would serve as a powerful symbol of bridging civic and gender equality gaps. Having women register for the draft would favorably change the military’s attitudes and policies toward women and the use of force. It might change society’s views, too.

Requiring women to register is the just and fair thing to do.

According to the principle of justice, “individuals should be treated the same, unless they differ in ways that are relevant to the situation in which they are involved.” In today’s society, women theoretically have the right to be able to equally compete with men for any qualified position, including in the military. Consequently, women must share the burden of defending the nation with their male counterparts – even on the front line.

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Registration for the draft is the definitive standard of equality because it’s a fundamental and immutable responsibility of each and every citizen.

There are evident biological gender differences in average size, strength and roughness of play, and the American military has said that physical standards will not be lowered to enable women to serve in all roles. Therefore, it must find ways to more effectively train women for front-line combat and other warfare scenarios. There are important exceptions to the stereotype of the fairer sex, though. Women have passed the arduous physical standards in the military and performed well when fighting under various circumstances.

Requiring women to register for the Selective Service System would not mean that in the event of a draft, the number of women in combat positions would be on par with the number of men. Rigorous entry standards for all opened positions would still remain in place. Men and women who meet those standards, or could be trained to do so, would be assigned to roles suited to their abilities.

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Subjection to battlefront danger is the ultimate test of patriotism; it reinforces a strong, desired message of national commitment to friends and foes alike. In times of national emergencies, the country will require access to the best talents. Victory relies on strength, innovation, intelligence and courage – qualities that are not exclusive to just one gender.

Requiring women to register with Selective Service is not only practical and ethical, but also inevitable given the progression of the military’s policy on lifting gender-based restrictions. It is symbolically powerful in that it recognizes women as citizens who are valued and needed as much as men are.

Most importantly, registering and drafting women could compel the American public to question why and how we go to war, as well as think twice about sending our loved ones into harm’s way.