Following the announcement by the defence secretary that combat roles would be opened to women (Report, 26 October), an MoD spokesperson said the military is a leading equal opportunities employer that values talent from a wide range of backgrounds. Yet with the lifting of the ban on women serving in combat roles and increased promotion of equal treatment for all genders, how do the armed forces justify their continued discrimination on the basis of age? Age limits also apply for certain roles.
The government’s 2014 review on the lifting of the ban on women found that women are up to 40% less strong and fit than men and twice as likely to suffer a stress injury. However, their view was that with the right adaptations in place there are some who will reach exactly the same standard as men. Given this, why does the military still discriminate against people on the basis of their age and not their ability to do the job?
David Higgins
London
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