In the army now: What's life like for women?

‘If you come into the Defence Forces with the right motivation and work ethic – that you want to work hard and do well at your job – you will be treated with as much respect as any of the guys here,” says Lieut Cdr Elaine Moloney, engineering officer on the LÉ Niamh.

She is one of only 58 women out of 1,001 members of the Irish Naval Service. Moloney was one of their first two female marine engineers and has recently become the first woman to reach the rank of lieutenant commander.

The fact that women are massively outnumbered in the Irish Defence Forces is not news. In total there are 9,156 members of the Army, the Naval Service and the Air Corps combined, but just 559 of them – little more than 6 per cent – are female. That figure is slightly below the international norm (the Nato average for 2014, for example, was just over 10 per cent) and efforts are being made to address the issue.

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Lt Georgina James and then minister of defence Willie O’Dea during a 2006 drive to increase the number of women to join the Defence Forces by reducing the height restriction. Photograph: Maxwell’s

Last year the then minister for defence, Simon Coveney, said he wanted female representation in the armed forces doubled to 12 per cent. A Government white paper on defence was issued, and on the back of that a recent recruitment campaign for the Naval Service and the Army placed a particular emphasis on young women.

Cannes Lions Festival

The advertising to go with it had the tagline, “You’ve been training for this your whole life”, and the Dublin-based agency behind it, Rothco, scooped an award at the Cannes Lions festival for it.

It seems to have had the desired effect. Figures show 1,459 females have signed up as a result of the recruitment drive, an increase of 711 on applications in 2015.

But just what are they getting themselves in for?

The training is extremely physical, with long days spent in the Wicklow mountains simulating real-life conflict situations, away from family, friends and home comforts. Then there is the obligatory overseas service, which includes migrant rescue operations in the Mediterranean and ground operations with the UN in conflict zones such as the Golan Heights in Syria.

It is by no means a nine-to-five job, but while that may be a turn-off for some people, for many women in the Irish Defence Forces it seems to be the very thing that draws them to it.

“Since I was really young I was always into outdoor activities, into playing football, into running, so I suppose when it came to choosing a career, the Defence Forces had a lot of different challenges, it had overseas opportunities. The physical aspect of it as well, and it wasn’t your normal nine-to-five, so it was an easy decision,” says Army Sgt Valerie Cole, who was the star of the advertising video.

In it, she is seen rising at the crack of dawn, in her uniform carrying out her army duties, and training hard on the GAA pitch. There is a general consensus among the women I spoke to that a sporty background is a real advantage for new recruits, but it is not essential, according to Cole.

“You’re always part of a team, and with regards the physical aspect of it, everybody is brought along, so it’s a progression rather than straight into it,” she said.

Training camp

I meet Sgt Cole at Coolmoney Camp in the Glen of Imaal in the Wicklow mountains, where I spend a day following her around as she goes about her normal routine. It is day four of a training course, and trainees are being put through their paces, spending their nights in the forest planning and carrying out section attacks and ambushes.

One of the women on the course is Cpl Tanya Burke. She is a mother of two and is married to a garda who is ex-Army. She says it’s good that he knows the score and he picks up the slack at home when she has to spend weeks on end training in the mountains or on overseas operations, which usually last six months. One thing that helps, she says, is the “family-friendly” policy brought in by the Defence Forces. It allows any member – male or female – to reduce their overseas obligation by essentially job-sharing with a colleague.

“I was allowed go overseas for three months, so, by the time I got over there, settling into your job, getting used to your routine, the trip was nearly over. They also allowed a week’s leave in between so I could go home and see the kids and my husband,” she says.

For many, including Sgt Cole, despite the long stints away from home, overseas operations represent the highlight of their careers. You know what you are signing up for when you join the army and it’s not suddenly landed on you when you least expect it.

“We can plan well in advance and you know where you’re going to be nearly this time next year. It’s not a case of you turn up on Monday and you’re gone for two weeks,” she says.

They take great pride in representing their country while carrying out peacekeeping duties or taking part in international rescue operations, such as Operation Pontus on the Mediterranean Sea.

In July 2015, Lt Cdr Moloney deployed for the Mediterranean from the naval base at Haulbowline in Co Cork on board the LÉ Niamh. The three-month stint was part of Ireland’s involvement in the EU’s humanitarian mission rescuing migrants fleeing the Middle East and North Africa.

During that time, the LÉ Niamh rescued more than 4,100 people, but the crew also witnessed horrific scenes, including the capsizing of a migrant vessel as the Irish ship approached to help them; 365 people were saved, but hundreds others drowned. Lt Cdr Moloney has mixed emotions about that day.

“On one hand I have this sense of pride in, not only myself, but the crew that I worked with that day on deck and how we worked so hard to save as many lives as we could. However, on the other hand I also have a lot of sadness because we were not able to save everyone that day, and even our best efforts just weren’t good enough to ensure everyone survived.”

I join Lt Cdr Moloney on board the LÉ Niamh one Friday, as it docks to refuel in Haulbowline. She shows me around the vessel and describes the crowded conditions on board during Operation Pontus.

During one operation, a heavily pregnant woman who was rescued from a migrant boat gave birth on board. Thanks to the medical staff on the Irish vessel, baby Destiny was delivered without complication, and for Moloney and the rest of the crew, it was a happy moment.

“It was a fantastic experience. It was a really uplifting experience for the crew to go through,” she said.

The LÉ Niamh transferred baby Destiny and her mother to the Italian authorities afterwards, and Moloney says they haven’t heard what has happened to them since, or any of the other 4,100 migrants they rescued. “You’d like to know that these people have gotten on with their lives and that they’ve found some sort of solace wherever they’ve ended up. I do think about them,” she said.

Ireland’s involvement in overseas missions, such as Operation Pontus or UN peacekeeping, is part of the motivation to bring more gender equality to the Defence Forces. Peacekeepers in conflict zones are required to be aware of the effects of war on women, and diversity is important when soldiers encounter cultures where it’s not acceptable for men to speak to the local women.

Lack of understanding

Flight Quartermaster Sgt Tracey Walsh with the Air Corps says women in the Defence Forces are the norm now, but they weren’t 22 years ago when she signed up to the Army. She joined the male-dominated Border unit at a time when there were even fewer women in the ranks than there are now. Things have changed for the better since then, she says.

“Maybe some of the bias that was there beforehand was a lack of understanding, they hadn’t worked with females before – they thought females couldn’t do the job. Most of the guys in now have probably trained with females, they’re used to it; it’s the norm. I don’t remember in the last few years at any stage seeing any bias,” she said.

Sexism is not an issue for Sgt Cole or Lt Cdr Moloney either. Both feel their careers have progressed as they should have and neither feels they have been held back because of gender. However, Moloney acknowledges that being taken seriously was always something she was conscious of.

“I never found sexism to be an issue but I do think I worked harder to prove myself. I wanted to be taken seriously from the beginning . . . If you take it seriously then you will be taken seriously. That’s been my experience in the Defence Forces.”