Themes

1990 - 1993

Article highlights

Recruitment crisis

The 1980s was a poor decade for naval recruitment. There were many social factors - the declining birth rate meant that there were just fewer young people to recruit and competition for young people had also increased from the private sector and there was a tendency for them to stay on in education longer.

The Royal Navy needed a way to break this trend and turned increasingly to women for its recruitment shortages. The idea of using women at sea was put forward in the mid 1980s.

The Navies of the Netherlands, USA, Denmark and Norway, had women at sea. One of the major problems with this plan was that all British naval ships were required for war and so Wrens would have to participate in combat as well. This was contrary to the other two Women's Services and also other nations' Navies at that time.

There was also the problem of accommodation and suitable facilities within very cramped fighting ships, with a balance needed between privacy and efficiency.

There were additionally questions as to whether women could do the same work as men, such as carrying heavy loads. Furthermore, there were the various complaints of male chauvinists and naval wives. Various study teams eventually recommended that it could be done on a gradual basis.