Equality for women in military

By GEORGINA KOREI
WOMEN in military should be equally treated as their male counterparts, says Specialist Louie Kaman of the US military.
Kaman, from Jiwaka, moved to Hawaii in 2008 to attend Brigham Young University and enlisted in the US army in 2017 where he now serves as 91D “tactical power generation specialist”.
He said from his experience of working with the US military, women in US military were as equal as their male counterparts.
Kaman was speaking to students during the commemoration of the US military Memorial Day by the US Embassy in Port Moresby on Tuesday.
The Memorial Day is celebrated at the end of May each year by the US military in remembrance and honour of their lost heroes who have fought during World War I and II.
“There were no difference in gender in the US military,” Kaman said.
“We all undergo the same training and female soldiers do the military drills that males do.”
He said in PNG, female soldiers have so many challenges in the profession as the culture is involved.
“Most of our cultural restrictions in PNG has become a hindrance in the career of female soldiers but that needs to change,” he said.
Kaman urged the female soldiers in the PNGDF to break the barrier.
“It is understandable that PNG is still in a learning process when it comes to training of female soldiers, with women tied to our cultural restrictions, but that barrier needs to be broken,” he said.
Captain Alexander Fhlug said from his experience in the U.S military, equal opportunity was given to both gender.
“Women should be given more priority in the military training as times have changed and we are all equal and that women should take on that challenge” he said.