EQUAL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR WOMEN AND MEN IN UNIFORMED FORMATIONS AS ASSESSED BY WOMEN STUDENTS AT MILITARY UNIVERSITIES – A PILOT STUDY

Purpose: The aim of this article is to determine the level of equality of opportunities for professional development for women and men in uniformed formations as perceived by female students of military universities. The following research problems were formulated: in the opinion of female students of military academies, do uniformed formations provide the same career development opportunities for women as for men? What, in the opinion of female respondents, are the key barriers to career development for women entering service in uniformed formations, including the military? Design/methodology/approach: A survey questionnaire tool was used to address these research questions. The study included 80 female students of civilian studies at military universities. Findings: According to female students of military universities, men have more opportunities for professional development in uniformed formations compared to women. The main barriers to women's professional development are lower strength and fitness, stereotyping of women, difficulties in combining professional and family roles, especially the role of mother, discrimination and misogyny, and the domination of male culture in the services. Research limitations/implications: Due to the unrepresentative nature of the sample, the research is treated as a pilot study and the results will be used to construct research hypotheses for further in-depth research. In the future, it would be worthwhile to conduct research among officers of uniformed formations. Originality/value: Research on women in the military remains fragmented. There is a lack of studies on equal professional opportunities in uniformed formations.