Why men and women in the Norwegian army don't hesitate to live and sleep in shared barracks

  • Jan 13, 2021
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Why men and women in the Norwegian army don't hesitate to live and sleep in shared barracks
Why men and women in the Norwegian army don't hesitate to live and sleep in shared barracks

For a long time, no one has been surprised by the fact that in many countries women do military service on an equal basis with men. As for equality in the army, Norway has stepped farthest in this direction. There, women and men not only undergo military service together, but live and sleep in the same barracks!

Both men and women serve in the Norwegian army. | Photo: bbc.com.
Both men and women serve in the Norwegian army. | Photo: bbc.com.

Norway is the first NATO country where conscription has become compulsory for both men and women. This trend is explained by the fact that Norway is a rather small country with a low birth rate. Service for the good of the fatherland is not considered prestigious for them, but it is necessary to form an army. Gender equality is actively promoted in the country, so recruitment for military service has become a matter of course.

Women serve on equal terms with men. | Photo: zbroya.info.

For all its liberality, the Norwegian government considers strengthening the country's defense one of its top priorities. If we look at the statistics, it’s worth noting that the Scandinavian country ranks second in terms of military spending per citizen ($ 455). In first place is the United States ($ 850).

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Equality in the Norwegian Army. | Photo: zbroya.info.

Military women perform the same combat missions as military men, they undergo special training together in training camps and receive the same ranks.

More recently, the government decided to merge the male and female barracks, placing both sexes together. At first, the men took the news with caution; many said openly that they were uncomfortable living next to women in the same room. But the soldiers adapted to new realities surprisingly quickly. Still, equality in this country is not an empty phrase.

In the Norwegian army, men and women sleep in the same barracks. | Photo: yaaz.az.

Male soldiers note that women are no different from them in terms of endurance, courage and tenacity. All of them are soldiers, regardless of gender. And in the barracks it became even more comfortable. Moreover, cases of intimate harassment have ceased to occur in the Norwegian army.

In the Norwegian army, men and women sleep in the same barracks. | Photo: moscow-airports.com.

As for the charter, here too one can find manifestations of liberalism. For example, both sexes are allowed to wear long hair. It is important that they are tied in tails or braided. You can even choose a vegetarian menu in the dining rooms.

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Why are men and women in the Norwegian army not shy about living and sleeping in shared barracks? | Photo: moscow-airports.com.

In addition to regular service, the Norwegian Armed Forces have an active reservist corps (Hemvern). It includes those who have served in the army. Each of them has their own weapons, uniforms, and a full set of camping equipment at home. In the event of an external threat, the regular army of 29,400 people will be replenished with another 300,000 who want to defend their country.

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In the Norwegian army, women have the same rights as men. | Photo: bbc.com.

It is not only the army structure that causes bewilderment among our compatriots. Take, for example, the places of detention of criminals. Norway is one of the countries where prisons are more like sanatoriums or resorts.
A source:
https://novate.ru/blogs/190620/54970/