
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: WEDNESDAY, February 6, 1991                   TAG: 9102060504
SECTION: EDITORIAL                    PAGE: A6   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

GULF ALLIES DENY WOMEN BASIC RIGHTS

I FIND IT hard to believe that we are fighting in the Gulf for human rights when we are allied with regimes that deny basic human rights to women. Not only has our government failed to decry these abuses, but it also commanded U.S. military women to follow a separate set of rules.

While the men wear T-shirts in the 120-degree heat, women soldiers must work in heavy fatigue jackets, buttoned up, with T-shirts underneath them. When a women soldier is off duty, she is not allowed to drive, run errands or go out at all unless escorted by a man, who must pay for anything she buys while she stands to the side with eyes averted. The parallel to this situation would be if we allied with South Africa and asked our black troops stationed there to conform to apartheid rules in order to "respect the culture."

I expect there will be rebuttals to my letter that point out how privileged the women soldiers are to be excluded from combat positions. I suspect many of them would be glad to trade this "protection" for equal respect, rights and opportunities.

VICTORIA KNOX

ROANOKE

by CNB