La incorporación de la mujer a las FAS

una lectura a partir de su integración en la BRILEG y la BRIPAC y la participación de estas brigadas en operaciones en el exterior

Abstract

Equality between men and women in the Army is one of the most important changes within the contemporary military organisation. In Spain, the process began in the 80´s, later than in most western countries and as expected it met with some resistance in the military. This resistance was not only because of Franco´s dictatorship heritage. However, the incorporation of women into the FAS (Armed Forces) has developed normaly and fast, driven by the cultural modernisation of the Spanish society and by the guidelines of the Ministry of Defense. Even if we compare it to our partners in the EU and in NATO, the Spanish model is one of the most evolved. Nowadays, the chances of access to a professional career are exactly the same for both genders, no role or theater is forbidden to women in the FAS. As a way of approaching this subject, the article studies and ponders about the incorporation of the women to two infantry units of the Army, the Brigada de Infantería Ligera Paracaidista “Almogábares II” (BRIPAC) and the Brigada de La Legión “Rey Alfonso XVIII” (BRILEG). Studying these brigades involved two related phenomena to the woman incorporation to the FAS: the professionalisation of the troops and the FAS participation in operations abroad. The BRIPAC and the BRILEG were the ones that opened this missions, and then more units have incorporated since then. One of the conclusions is that the percentage of women is not the same for the whole of the units in the FAS and that in the units with greater demand for physical conditions the proportion of women is lower. The sources used are: official publications of these Brigades, internal arrangements designed to readjust the units to the new situation, personnel evaluations of these units and operations journals of the units and statistics which highlight the evolution of the process.