A soldier pointing and looking through the scope of a sniper rifle

A female Marine under enemy fire in Afghanistan, 2010 (Lynsey Addario/Getty Images Reportage)

Should Women Have To Register For The Draft?

The United States has relied on an all-volunteer military ever since the last draft ended in 1973. Congress could revive the draft, however, if the U.S. ever faced a grave military threat. That’s why young men who’ve just turned 18 still must register with the Selective Service, the federal agency responsible for carrying out a draft.

In June, the Supreme Court declined to hear a challenge to the law that requires only men to register for the draft, suggesting that Congress should take a fresh look at the relevance of the existing law.

For most of American history, women were barred from serving in military combat. That restriction ended in 2015, and combat units are now open to anyone who qualifies. Does that mean it’s time to require women to register for the draft alongside men?

August 30, 2021

The requirement that men but not women register for the draft is one of the last examples of overt sex discrimination written into our federal law. It’s time for that to change.

We support ending the draft altogether, but as long as the government requires young people to register, the rule should apply to everyone. Limiting Selective Service registration to men only might seem like a benefit to women, but it actually impedes women’s full participation in civic life. It sends a message that women are unqualified to serve in the military, regardless of individual capabilities and preferences. It reflects an outdated view that, in the event of a draft, women’s primary duty would be on the home front—and, on the flip side, that men are unqualified to be caregivers.

Limiting registration for the draft to men is sex discrimination written into law.

Limiting draft registration to men also devalues the contributions of women who serve in the military. That’s why military women’s organizations like the Service Women’s Action Network support extending registration to women. National experts agree: A congressional commission formed to study the Selective Service System recommended that Congress update the Military Selective Service Act to allow women to be registered also, and the Department of Defense has advised Congress that doing so would promote military preparedness—as well as fairness.

In 1981, the Supreme Court upheld men-only registration for the draft, arguing that it made sense because women were not allowed to serve in combat. Now that women are eligible to serve in combat roles, the sole justification for this practice has evaporated into thin air.

Earlier this year, the Supreme Court declined to hear a case challenging men-only registration for the draft, instead telling Congress to re-examine the existing law. The ball is now in Congress’s court. It’s simple: Either all young people should be required to register for the draft regardless of sex—or none of us should.

—RIA TABACCO MAR

Director, Women’s Rights Project, ACLU

The Selective Service is about national security in a time of catastrophic emergency, not women’s rights. The system is a relatively low-cost insurance policy that serves as a backup to America’s all-volunteer military, and we shouldn’t put that at risk by including women in the draft.

Since military regulations changed in 2015, some women have succeeded in formerly all-male units such as the infantry. However, physical differences between men and women, which are relevant to combat during a catastrophic national emergency, have not changed.

A three-year Marine Corps study compared the performance of all-male and mixed-gender units simulating combat requirements. It found that “all-male squads, teams, and crews demonstrated higher performance levels on 69 percent of tasks evaluated (93 of 134) as compared to gender-integrated squads, teams, and crews.”

Requiring women to register would create a political crisis.

If Congress approves legislation to register women with Selective Service, any call-up of draftees would have to include women in equal numbers. Theories about equality break down here. The military would have to divert scarce time and resources to evaluate and train thousands of women just to find the small percentage who might be minimally qualified for fighting units such as the infantry.

The purpose of military conscription during a national emergency isn’t to locate and train support troops; its purpose is to replace troops killed or wounded in battle—as quickly as possible. Some exceptional women might qualify, but most women can’t meet physical standards for combat units, while most men can. Instead of Selective Service concentrating on men who can be rapidly trained to fight in combat, a draft that included women would jam up the process of creating a battle-ready force.

Requiring women to register for the draft would create a political crisis and a paralyzing administrative overload at the worst possible time. Such a policy would weaken our armed forces, not strengthen them.

—ELAINE DONNELLY

President, Center for Military Readiness