Gender norming

Gender norming is the practice of judging female military applicants or recruits, or female employees or job applicants in the civilian workforce, by less stringent standards than their male counterparts. This is sometimes seen as a useful and effective affirmative action policy, to increase the proportion of women in male-dominated professions, particular the US military's officer corps. Physical standards are lowered, taking into account the lesser (average) upper-body strength of women, and "fitness" in particular is determined in relation to the average woman, hence the term "norm" referring to the average woman.

The US military has adopted gender norming at West Point, calling it a system of "equivalent training". This has the objective of ensuring that positions are filled with a gender-balanced mix, and requires that women are given less physically challenging tests than men to attain the same fitness rating.

"Male Marines must complete a fifteen-mile march carrying a forty-pound pack and weapons in five hours, while women must march ten miles with twenty-five pounds and no weapons in three and a half hours. The U.S. Marine Corps also has used a hand grenade that only 45 percent of females can throw far enough so they are not injured by its explosion."

Opponent of gender norming, Walter E. Williams, wrote, "Officers who insist that females be held accountable to the same high standards as males are seen by higher brass as obstructionist and risk their careers".