102 PART onE • THE AmERiCAn sYsTEm
Gender Discrimination
Any practice, policy, or
procedure that denies
equality of treatment to
an individual or to a group
because of gender.in the federal courts, contending that
gender discrimination violated the
Fourteenth Amendment’s equal pro-
tection clause. Since the 1970s, the
United States Supreme Court has
tended to scrutinize gender classifi-
cations closely and has invalidated
many such statutes and policies. For
example, in 1977 the Court held that
police and firefighting units cannot
establish arbitrary rules, such as height
and weight requirements, that tend
to keep women from participating
in those occupations.^10 In 1983, the
Court ruled that life insurance compa-
nies cannot charge different rates for
women and men.^11Women in the military. One of
the most controversial issues involv-
ing women’s rights has been the role
of women in the armed forces. Many
believe that the ERA failed because of
the fear that women might be drafted
(forced) into military service. Currently,
no draft exists, but to this day young
American men must register for it.
Women do not face such a requirement.
A recent issue has been whether women should be allowed to serve in military com-
bat units. In the past, women were not allowed to join such units. Due to the fluid nature
of modern combat, however, women in support positions have often found themselves in
firefights anyway. In January 2013, the Department of Defense lifted the Combat Exclusion
Policy, and in the future women will be able to compete for assignment to combat units.
Participation in such units is usually a requirement for promotion to top military positions.Women in Politics Today
The efforts of women’s rights advocates have helped to increase the number of women
holding political offices at all levels of government. Although a “men’s club” atmosphere
still prevails in Congress, the number of women holding congressional seats has increased
significantly in recent years. Elections during the 1990s brought more women to Congress
than either the Senate or the House had seen before.
In 2001, for the first time, a woman was elected to a leadership post in Congress—
Nancy Pelosi of California became the Democrats’ minority whip in the U.S. House of
Representatives. In 2002, Pelosi was elected minority leader. In 2006, she became the first
woman to be Speaker of the House, although she was forced to drop back to minority- Dothard v. Rawlinson, 433 U.S. 321 (1977).
- Arizona v. Norris, 463 U.S. 1073 (1983).
This female soldier is a medic assigned to a Medevac helicopter
in Afghanistan. Medevac pilots, crew, and medics are ready to fly at a moment’s
notice, picking up coalition soldiers as well as Afghans who require help. Under a
Defense Department ruling, women in the U.S. armed forces can now compete to
join units that engage in direct combat. Is this rule a positive development? (John
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