WOMEN AND THE

U.S. MILITARY DRAFT

TIMELINE:
1980 - Rostker v. Goldberg

The monumental Supreme Court case

that ruled it constitutional to exclude

women from the US military draft,

based on the ban of women from

combat roles.

1980 - Draft Registration

Reinstated

President Jimmy Carter reinstated the

Selective Service Act in 1980, hollowing

hostilities from the Soviet Union. He

asked Congress to pass legislation to

include women, but they denied his

request.
HOW THE DRAFT LOWERED
2013 - Ban on Women in Combat THE VOTING AGE:
Roles Lifted After the Vietnam War, many young men and

The Secretary of Defense lifted the ban women between 18 and 21 complained to the

on women in combat roles, effectively government regarding their inability to vote. The

discounting the main argument in argument of the youth was that they had been

Rostker v. Goldberg. required to go into combat on behalf of their

2019 - National Coalition for Men country, in a war they had no say in nevertheless,

v. Selective Service System but were not allowed to vote for the leaders who

Heard in the Southern District Court of had approved of the war. They argued that the

Texas, this case challenged the requirement to serve the nation and act as an

exclusion of women from the draft. The adult should come with full rights to voting, so they

judge decided that, in the light of could have a say in their futures, and the war they

women being allowed in combat roles,

were fighting in. Congress agreed, thus leading to
the all male draft was unconstitutional.
the ratification of the 26th Amendement, which
The case has been sent to the Supreme
lowered voting age from 21 to 18.
Court, and it could overturn Rostker.

61% 38% 29%

of men support of women support of voters support
adding women to being added to the the draft.
the draft. draft.

INTERESTING HISTORY OF THE DRAFT:

FACTS
The US Military draft has been utilized on six different

occasions: the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, World

War I, World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam

During World War II, women were War. It was before World War I that the government

actually allowed to join the began requiring men between 18 and 25 to register for

military in non-combat positions. the draft, via the Selective Service Act of 1917.

Most commonly, they joined the The draft was generally accepted by the American

US Nurse Corps, but they also public as a civic duty for young men, at least until the

joined auxiliary teams that worked Vietnam War. Once word reached the general

to train soldiers and build/repair population that the Vietnam War was going poorly, the

vehicles. draft was immediately boycotted. Men began burning

their draft registration cards, and people took to the

The group fighting in the Supreme
streets to protest both the war and the draft system.
Court right now for women's
Registration for the draft was temporarily suspended
ability to be drafted is actually a
after Vietnam but was ultimately brought back by
group of men.
President Carter in 1980 in response to tensions with

the USSR.
President Jimmy Carter, who
Since 1980, the draft policy has remained the same;
fought for women's right to be
men between 18 and 25 must register, or face federal
drafted, has fought for women's
charges.
rights in several other ways. He
Today, many Americans view the draft as irrelevant,
notably left his longtime church
due to the fact that it has not been employed in close
because he felt the teachings
to 50 years. Support of Selective Service is currently at
were misogynistic.
an all-time low since the Vietnam era.

SOURCES:
Johnathan M. Gaffney, BBC, Harvard Law Review

Abby Edwards