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The greater problem is hostility to enforcement from the top down, as evidenced by countless scandals. Gender segregation "others" women and cripples their car

The greater problem is hostility to enforcement from the top down, as evidenced by countless scandals. Gender segregation "others" women and cripples their careers, ensuring that they continue to be underpromoted relative to their talent and thus underrepresented. We learned a long time ago that separate but equal is inherently unequal, yet it's a zombie concept that always comes back. https://warontherocks.com/2017/03/the-dark-side-of-gender-segregation-in-the-military/ https://warontherocks.com/2017/03/the-dark-side-of-gender-se... > It may seem intuitive that gender segregation would lead to less sexual harassment and sexual assault, but there is mounting evidence that shows the opposite might be true. Studies on workplace sexual harassment show that encouraging social integration at work can reduce sexual harassment. Other studies show that increased contact with an “outgroup” (in this case, women), improves attitudes towards individuals in that outgroup. These improvements are more likely to take place when group membership is de-emphasized during the interaction. But we're hobbled in discussing this on HN because it skews overwhelmingly male — and there's even less enthusiasm for confronting that than there is for confronting sexual assault in the military.

lo_zamoyski 2y ago
Even if we accept your thesis, are you prepared to crack a few eggs to make an omelet, to throw women to the wolves with the hope that over time, the men will learn? I, for one, would not do this, as it is cruel and uncaring. In the best case, it is utilitarian, and that is evil. You need some more nuance here. There is a place for mixed sex interactions. Men and women are not interchangeable. They have different needs, some of which require operating in sexually segregated settings, and because of their intrinsic complementarity, coupled with the vices that actually exist in the world and the weaknesses of human beings, there will always be tension. To refuse segregation in certain situations is to willingly put the weaker in danger. It is important that we conform our actions to reality, instead of operating from arbitrary and preconceived notions of how things "should" be. The notion of "equality as sameness" does not help people flourish, because it is hostile and ignores who people actually are and their particular needs, and in this case, the needs proper to their sex.
- rectang 2y ago
  Naturally I reject your characterization of integration as "evil". Male propensity for sexual assault is not immutable — ensuring that there are actual consequences will move the needle. For that, we need officers who will take enforcement seriously — and although male indifference to enforcing sexual assault isn't immutable either, right now that means that more female officers.

lo_zamoyski 2y ago

Even if we accept your thesis, are you prepared to crack a few eggs to make an omelet, to throw women to the wolves with the hope that over time, the men will learn? I, for one, would not do this, as it is cruel and uncaring. In the best case, it is utilitarian, and that is evil. You need some more nuance here. There is a place for mixed sex interactions. Men and women are not interchangeable. They have different needs, some of which require operating in sexually segregated settings, and because of their intrinsic complementarity, coupled with the vices that actually exist in the world and the weaknesses of human beings, there will always be tension. To refuse segregation in certain situations is to willingly put the weaker in danger. It is important that we conform our actions to reality, instead of operating from arbitrary and preconceived notions of how things "should" be. The notion of "equality as sameness" does not help people flourish, because it is hostile and ignores who people actually are and their particular needs, and in this case, the needs proper to their sex.

rectang 2y ago
Naturally I reject your characterization of integration as "evil". Male propensity for sexual assault is not immutable — ensuring that there are actual consequences will move the needle. For that, we need officers who will take enforcement seriously — and although male indifference to enforcing sexual assault isn't immutable either, right now that means that more female officers.