Female soldiers of the world A few weeks back I did a post called “Ugly Beautiful” focusing on finding beauty within unlikely places, or seeing a different side of something usually perceived as ugly, that one can interpret as beautiful. Or perhaps just unveiling or uncovering some beauty by changing perspective. In this post though, it’s more of a misplaced beauty – beauty within unforgiving environs, or in places most would see as un-befitting. But, people are people and often something we see as odd or divisive, is more a reflection of ourselves than the actual state of the way things are. Female soldiers, specifically, Special Forces; They’re rare and a part of our world that most in society don’t want to acknowledge, because on some level, it violates some moral code, or a puristic ideal and goes against what most believe being a woman is all about. This is perhaps harking back to traditionalists; where women are the nurturers and care givers, and men are the protectors and providers. However, women have immense strength, and besides, what happens when the man falls (as he so often does) – and let’s not forget that men usually go to women to glean strength and support. But really, this is just a slight demonstration of the strength of women, because they can be the best protectors and are already providers, but they can do it without forfeiting their nurturing and softer sides. I was going to get all philosophical about this and delve into the inequality issues and the fight that many women have been fighting for ages, but instead I’ll just let the pictures speak for themselves because these ladies are simply badass – if that’s not too crude. I could've also gone into the various roles they'd played over the ages and still do today, from assassins (often in the vein of the John Le Carre coined term; honey-traps), freedom fighters or even bodyguards - the late Muammar Gaddafi was one leader known to be partial-to/fascinated-with female (virgin) bodyguards. And then there's the world's most famous (and perhaps the most beautiful and glamorous) female bodyguard: Anna Loginova. She had a successful modelling career alongside her other profession, including work for Chanel. She died in 2008 in Moscow, at the age of 29, from head injuries sustained in what authorities believed to be a random carjacking. Loginova studied martial arts and in 2005 founded an agency called Stilet (Dagger) dedicated to female bodyguards (trained by ex-KGB operatives) to provide discreet protection for Russian billionaires . We know that women in this profession are in high demand the world over. I'm also only handing a passing mention to past female leader's, known for their unshakeable stance when it came to conflict, strong women in history like Cleopatra, St Joan of Arc - the sword carrying saint, Queen Elizabeth I, Mbande Nzinga Angolan Queen, 1582-1663 - who organized a powerful guerilla army to repel the Portugese settlers (eventually negotiating a peace treaty but refusing to bow to their then King), Queen Victoria, Golda Meir and the Iron Lady Margaret Thatcher. If you’re curious, there are other reasons behind my decision to post this – it’s simply because I am actually writing about it – perhaps not women soldiers in general, but my book does contain a central character which happens to be a highly qualified female operative. The fictional character's name is Ayalah Karmin, an ex-IDF paratrooper and Sayaret Matkal vet who is working freelance after a term in Mossad. Of course when I researched this, I did not look into gender battles, but simply looked into the army, the units and disciplines, since all who achieve these exceptional feats need to meet the same exceptional standards. And then of course Israel is known for its equality in the military – with such a small country they can't afford to be stingy on who defends their country… ALL Israeli citizens are conscripted by law at the age of 18, for a mandatory 2 years of service. Anyway, on to the gallery, (Respect): [Image Credits: rediff.com, pinterest.com, alo.rs, yeeeeee.com, warfare.ru, moddb.com, desura.com, beautifulrus.com, news.xinhuanet.com, IDFblog.com, businessinsider.com, izismile.com, userfriendlyetc.blogspot.com, theatlantic.com] "Daughters of the attitude that produced them, certain women will not appeal to us without the double bed in which we find peace by their side, while others, to be caressed with a more secret intention, require leaves blown by the wind, water rippling in the dark, things as light and fleeting as they are." --- MARCEL PROUST, The Guermantes Way "The fear of women is the beginning of knowledge." "For the female of the species is more deadly than the male." Some links from the web: 8 Female soldiers who shattered barriers in 2013 (IDFBlog) Women in the Armies of the World, 70 pictures Most Impressive women in the military 2013 (businessinsider) Related links from this site: Captivating - Unveiling the mystery of a woman's soul - Book Review God's Message to Women
5 Comments
The Skateboarding revolution in Afghanistan I've covered a few depressing stories and written some sad articles of late - even my last one was on a fictional TV series dealing with an apocalyptic event... so I thought I'd infuse a bit of beauty and inspiration here. The wave of young skateboarders in Afghanistan. They call themselves Skateistan - I didn't know much about them even after I saw the image above. I saved that image (from theChive.com) because it grabbed me. I'm not much of a Skateboarder myself, I tried when I was 6 yrs old, I fell, a lot, and then my Dad drove over my skateboard in the garage, and even though we fixed it somehow, I took it as a sign that this was not for me... Surfing on the other hand I have also tried - and I like that... although surf boards can be pricy. Anyway, enough about me. these young girls, yes girls, look to be skating in some place that is very dangerous, (because of the height, not the country) but the key above all is quite simply the smiles. I can't imagine living in Afghanistan, but I think its safe to presume there's little to cheer about, so an initiative was started, an NGO project targeting children between the ages of 5 and 15. It is a non-profit and independent initiative that has since expanded from Kabul to Cambodia and includes access to education. The reason for the focus on the girls is simple - Afghanistan is notorious for being one of the worst countries for women to live in. According to their website 40% of students in Skateistan are female, many of them having joined against the wishes of their family, their fathers in particular. The original instructor members are Oliver Percovich (Founder & Executive Director), Max Henninger (Former Deputy Director), Shams Razi (Former Afghan Country Manager) and part time volunteer Sharna Nolan (Former Project Officer) They receive a number of sponsorships as well as backing from several European embassies and at least one Foreign office. The Skateistan project was started by Percovich in 2007 after visiting the country early that year (bringing along his skateboards). The NGO has become something of a global affair since then and continues to grow and inspire. If you're interested to donate to organization, or just want to know more about them, I implore you to visit the website at www.skateistan.org, it's guaranteed to open your eyes. I was privileged enough to see a short documentary on this project... Kids are kids, they want to explore, to play, to learn. Stories like this remind me that there is hope yet for humanity... |
[Banner illustration by Joel Kanar]
WRITING
|