Қорғаныс министрлігіндегі әйелдер жөніндегі консультативтік комитет тарихы

The Defense Advisory Committee on Women in the Services (DACOWITS) is one of the oldest Department of Defense (DoD) federal advisory committees and was established in 1951 by then Secretary of Defense (SecDef) George C. Marshall. The committee is composed of civilian women and men appointed by the SecDef to provide advice and recommendations on matters and policies relating to the recruitment, retention, employment, integration, well being, and treatment of women in the U. S. Armed Forces. As a discretionary DoD federal advisory committee, it is authorized under the provisions of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) of 1972 (5 U. S. C., Appendix) and 41 C. F. R. § 102 3.50(d). Committee members review issues and conduct information gathering activities through installation visits, meetings, reports, and surveys. The committee typically meets quarterly and provides recommendations to the SecDef for consideration via an annual report.

The Women's Armed Services Integration Act of 1948 established specific roles for women in the peacetime Armed Forces of the United States. Previously, women had only been allowed to serve as nurses in peacetime with a wider variety of roles only open to them in time of war. However, with the start of the Korean War in June 1950, the DoD began to investigate ways to increase recruitment and retention of women in all services. Internal inquiries from defense agencies, such as the National Security Resources Board, and external pressure from politicians, such as Senator Margaret Chase Smith, added to the sense of urgency in defining a more comprehensive position for women in the military. At the suggestion of Assistant Secretary of Defense for Manpower Anna Rosenberg, Marshall formed the Defense Advisory Committee on Women in the Services in August 1951. Its first chair was Mary Pillsbury Lord, a civic activist who had been chair of the National Civilian Advisory Committee of the Women's Army Corps (WAC). Meeting for three days at the Pentagon in 1951, they heard presentations about recruiting and the possible need for a women's draft based on the failure of recruiting during World War II to meet the military services' requirements for women. The committee helped to develop policies and standards for women in the military—using them, expanding their opportunities, recruiting them, and training them. The committee ensured that military women would have representation at the Department of Defense.

DACOWITS’ recommendations have addressed a variety of topics and subtopics throughout the years. The table below lists the most common topics of concern the committee has addressed. +Common Themes and Subthemes Addressed in DACOWITS Recommendations, 1967 to 2020Themes & SubthemesDescriptionBenefits and entitlementsBenefits, salary, or entitlements received by current or former Service members Base allowance for quartersHousing allowancesHousingHousing on or off base for Service membersTricareHealthcare for Service membersCareer progressionCareer progression of a Service member, including career planning and trajectories, transitions and/or assistance related to assignments and placements, and leadership developmentDeploymentTransitions related to deployments ReintegrationTransitions related to reintegration after returning from deploymentsPregnancy statusTransitions related to pregnancy statusTransition between Active and Reserve ComponentsTransitions related to members of the Reserve or Guard moving to active duty status or active duty Service members moving to the Reserve or GuardVeteransTransitions related to separating from the U. S. military and moving to veteran status; also includes general recommendations related to veteransPromotion and/or career advancementCareer advancement, promotion criteria, and performance evaluationsEnlistmentStandards or practices used around enlistmentLeadership development and representationInitiatives for leadership or mentoring development, including both individual members of the U. S. military (developing their personal leadership skills) and the Military Services’ leadership as a whole (e. g., strengthening officer training); also includes diversity (e. g., race, gender, ethnicity) initiatives for underrepresented leaders, including at the executive/advisory board levelCommunication and/or disseminationCommunication or dissemination of information from the branches or DoD to Service members and/or civilians; for example, “increase effective communication”Education and/or trainingEducation or trainingBasic trainingBasic or recruit trainingMilitary Service Academies (MSA)Education and trainings conducted at MSAsYouth programmingEducation and trainings for children younger than 18Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC)ROTC or Junior ROTC programsNew training or conferences Creation and/or implementation of new trainings or organization of conferencesModifications to existing training or conferencesExpanding or modifying existing trainings or conferencesFamily supportPolicies aimed at supporting families and their dependentsChild careChild careDomestic abuseDomestic abuseDual military couplesSpouses who both are current Service members; includes co location policies for such couplesFamily leave policiesParental or family leave policies that allow Service members to take leave when having/adopting a childSabbaticalsSabbatical programs that allow Service members to take leave to pursue other areas of lifeGender equality and integrationEqualizing standards or guidelines for genders, including integrating women into previously closed positions or units, and barriers preventing full integration; also includes utilization OR increasing the number/percentage of women in underrepresented fieldsWomen in combatIntegrating women into previously closed combat positionsGender biasGender bias or sexism involving any prejudice or stereotyping based on gender or sexPhysical fitness standardsCompletion, implementation, and components of physical fitness tests or the discussion of physical fitness test requirements; body specifications, measurements and scales, and physical ability requirements deemed necessary for adequate job performanceUniforms and equipmentUniforms and equipment used by female Service membersReserve and Guard componentsReserve or Guard, specificallyInternal to DACOWITSDACOWITS processes or the dissemination of information pertaining to DACOWITSMarketing and recruitmentMedia or programs specifically designed to promote a given entity (e. g., the Military Services) or related to the recruitment of female Service membersPortrayal of female Service members in mediaDepiction and representation of female Service members in the media (e. g., print, video, television, stamps, radio)RetentionFemale attrition and retentionSexual harassment and sexual assaultBoth sexual harassment and sexual assault Sexual harassmentRelated to sexual harassment, but not sexual assaultSexual assaultRelated to sexual assault, but not sexual harassmentUnit culture and moraleUnit culture or moraleWomen's health and well beingWomen's health, including reproductive healthBreastfeeding and lactationBreastfeeding and lactation policies, programs, or supportMental healthMental health, including drug or alcohol abuse and posttraumatic stressPregnancyPregnancy, including postpartum