The story of a Ukrainian Armed Forces war veteran who had her breasts amputated because she wore a men’s bulletproof vest recently shook Ukraine and once again raised the issue of the urgency of equipping women. Ukrainian Femnetwork spoke on this topic in an interview with the Veteranka movement.
About the long-term harm of male uniforms for the female body
Long-term harm to any body is a long-term war. Here we must understand that wearing a uniform for a long time without occasionally taking it off, changing it, or washing it is harmful. There is little talk in the army about the harm to women’s health, because a woman who chooses war supposedly does not even have the right to complain that something is inconvenient or harmful to her, otherwise they reproach her, saying, why did you come there. For the sake of justice, it is worth noting that it is not customary to talk about men’s health either – if you are not wounded or not killed, then it is already good.
In general, a men’s cut can be uncomfortable, pressing to the point of bruising. As for a bulletproof vest, wearing it according to all standards cannot be permanent, and the realities of war are such that people must constantly be protected. The back suffers the most and a vertebrologist is the best friend for veterans.
On the involvement of women in the development and implementation of the uniform
Our Movement and other women’s human rights organizations achieved in 2022 that a women’s uniform was adopted for provision, but only a summer one. This is the 4th year that they have been promising a winter one. But in general, the market is responding to these needs and now various manufacturers are offering options. In general, all the improvements we have for women in the military are the merit of the women in the military themselves. From the opening of combat positions to women’s uniforms, underwear, etc.
About the work of the shop By VTRNK
Our shop developed its own version of the uniform, guided by the experience of our designer, who previously worked for the famous designer Frolov, and came to us with the vocation of helping women in the army. And she treated the development with great attention, our girls tested it at the front, gave feedback, we made changes. It is unacceptable to create something for women without listening to them.
Separately, it is worth mentioning NATO research on the topic of differences in military uniforms in the context of female and male anatomy.
The idea of a female uniform as a smaller male uniform does not assume anatomical differences between the sexes – in particular, tailoring the uniform in the groin and waist area, as well as disproportionately long sleeves, since women have shorter arms than men. However, the difference goes far beyond these measurements alone. The study, Gender Differences in NATO Anthropometry and the Implication for Protective Equipment, collected data from over 4,500 individuals in North America, Italy, and the Netherlands, and examined differences between male and female anthropometry across 97 anthropometric measurements.
The study found that the difference in hip width is a significant issue in flight suits, underwater suits, anti-g suits, and other protective clothing. It also found that if a male uniform were simply reduced to a female shoulder or chest size, the uniform would likely be tight in the hips.
Women’s larger hip size, combined with smaller measurements in most other areas, including height and length, is also important for workstations and seating. This means that women will have a lower center of gravity than men, which should give them an advantage in g-resistance (provided the anti-g suit fits them) and should make it easier to maneuver in an ejection seat. However, this may also mean that the control scheme must take into account the large hip area with a low seat height.