Defense Secretary Leon Panetta took strides of historical proportions for gender equality in January by lifting the ban on ground combat roles for women in the United States military.
While gender equality advocates praise the policy the idea of women in combat deters many people, both male and female.
Kimberly Kelly, director of Mississippi State University’s Gender Studies Program, says this is a normal effect of societal change.
“A lot of people, in fact most people, feel that if women start behaving like men, and vice versa, that it will destabilize society,” Kelly said.
Although women have had a presence in the military for some time, they have not been able to assume combat-specific roles. The military has instead valued women for their skills in intelligence gathering, as a middle-eastern woman typically will not speak with a man who is not her husband.
 Even though women have not been able to serve in combat positions, they still actively engage in combat. The military’s new policy allows women to serve in these roles and intends to break gender barriers and encourage equality in the armed forces.
Kelly related the military’s new policy to the gender equality labor laws of the 60s and 70s. When these laws were introduced, the male-populated workforce resisted change. Once the laws passed, society’s perceptions of women did not change for years. The military’s new policy intends to follow the same path.
Despite varied sentiments among civilians, most servicemen believed a female soldier is as combat competent as her male counterpart. However, women are bound to face unique challenges that many male soldiers will not.
Women may often be a family’s emotional support, and when a man returns from war he may seek emotional counsel from his family. Studies have shown that returning female veterans do not receive that same support.
Women have also been targets of sexual harassment in the military. Some women may face discrimination and hazing in these male-dominated fields. Some men may doubt the physical prowess of female soldiers, and many military women have reported hiding their menstruation for fear of being ostracized. 
Military women’s sexual identities are also under attack. Many women feel the need to stifle their femininity in a typically masculine environment. After repressing their feminine traits for extended periods, some soldiers find it hard to readjust to the normal societal roles expected of them in civilian life.
While Secretary Panetta’s new policy ushers in greater equality, it brings with it a slew of problems. The majority of these problems may fade away as society adjusts to the idea of a G.I. Jane, while others may persist. These changes may be difficult but point to an increased interest in gender equality in multiple facets of American society.