The United States Government does not require women to sign up for selective service. This is because the selective service law only refers to “male persons.” The draft was halted in 1975 by the President Proclamation. In 1980, President Carter re-established the registration process. President Carter also wanted Congress to alter the Constitution to make women register. However, in Rostker v. Goldberg, women were denied the right to sign up for selective service. Part of the ruling was that it did not violate the Fifth Amendment.

Just in 2013, the ban of women on the frontlines of the battlefield was lifted. This is revolutionary, but expected. Based on women fighting for equality, they should have the same requirements as men, especially if they sign up for it. So, being on the front lines of the battlefield raises more questions. If women want equality, shouldn’t they have all the same benefits and requirements as men? Wouldn’t it be biased to say that they are equal but they cannot be or are not required to do the same things as men? Wouldn’t that be sexist to both women and men?

The answer: yes. Women are now allowed to go on the frontlines of the battlefield. Ergo, it would only be reasonable and impartial if they also had to sign up for the selective service. If you fight for the equalities of men, you should be ready for all the responsibilities. Furthermore, because women are more than capable if not superior to men, they could complete the tasks given to them. Why shouldn’t a woman be able to fight for the same country that protects her “rights” and “freedoms” as an individual? If they did not accept all responsibilities typically bestowed upon men, they would simply be acquiescing.  Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “To accept passively an unjust system is to cooperate with that system; therefore the oppressed become as evil as the oppressor”. This goes to show that overtime women have been “oppressed for centuries” and if they accept this oppression they are no different than those who oppress them. They would be no different than those who prosecute them and call them “inferior.”

Women not accepting the full duties and only the partial duties as citizens would make them no better than those who assume they are not capable, which would therefore also make them biased. Women have fought for equality throughout American history and should be willing to accept all accountabilities. As a demographic that has been subject to discrimination because of their sex, women should be willing to fight for and prove their abilities as citizens of the United States of America. Henceforth, women should also be subject to the mandatory selective service.