“Certainly I will go with you,” said Deborah. “But because of the course you are taking, the honor will not be yours, for the LORD will deliver Sisera into the hands of a woman.” Judges 4:9
Like Deborah, the prophetess, women have been called to fulfill God-ordained missions throughout history. Whether to meet family needs or respond in a crisis, women step up to serve. From Queen Esther to Rosie the Riveter and beyond, females continue to fill the critical roles God sets before them, including to defend their country.
Many American women proudly serve in our all-volunteer armed forces. Females comprise 19% of the current officer corps. But this does not mean we should force young women to sign up for the military draft. Sadly, Congress is on track to overturn long-standing military policy that established the all-male draft and will diminish women’s intrinsic value and worth under a false banner of “equality.”
In July, the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) advanced the annual National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) behind closed doors with an amendment that would force young women to register for the Selective Service (SS). The SS is the mechanism by which male citizens are drafted for military service to meet combat needs during a national security crisis. Conscripting young women to the frontlines of war is a complete reversal of established and justified military policy upheld by the Supreme Court.
In response to this action, CWA Legislative Action Committee led a coalition letter to Congress asking members to oppose any legislation that would draft our daughters. Nearly 30 states were represented on the letter through a diverse group of national and regional pro-family organizations, former military, faith leaders, mothers, fathers, and more.
On September 1, the House Armed Services Committee (HASC) followed the Senate’s course in approving an amendment to force women into the draft. Five of the 28 Republicans joined 30 of the 31 Democrats in passing the amendment, effectively co-opting our military into an ideological project that undermines primary objectives for our national defense.
We celebrate the many critical roles women embrace in every stage of life, but we reject the baseless notion that women’s equality means sameness with men. Inherent distinctions between the sexes have everything to do with military readiness in a wartime crisis. We must maintain a united front against this policy as the House and Senate return from recess later this month. Our daughters should not be forced into the draft as a social experiment.
You can learn more by reading our fact sheet on this issue. Visit our Action Center here and contact your members of Congress today.