A Reddit user posted the question “Is it true that a woman is a better sniper than man? If true, why?” Well, warfare is no longer a “man’s game”. Rumors have it that women tend to be better snipers.
Dangers of the folklore
In some folklore or legend that circulated in the Russian army in Chechnya during the first decade of the twenty-first century, one of the most widespread involved women-snipers, former biathlon champions from the Baltic states, who allegedly fought alongside Chechen militants. More than ten years later, the rumour resurfaced in Ukraine.
Anna Sakharova who wrote about Soviet Women on the Frontline in the Second World War said that tales told that women specifically trained and ordained by the Soviet warring state to kill: sniping. “Trained assassins, required to stalk a human quarry with the deliberate intent of killing in cold blood, the woman sniper seemed the antithesis of Soviet or any other womanhood. For the Red Army, the sniper, male or female, was by necessity a ‘terrible avenger, who hates the enemy with all their being’. For the Wehrmacht, the Red Army woman sniper was undoubtedly the ultimate manifestation of the ‘ferocious’ Soviet ‘riflewomen’ (Flintenweiber): ‘Bolshevik beasts’ and ‘Amazons devoid of femininity’. Indeed, for women snipers themselves, the act of killing was a profoundly disturbing one, at least initially. In good part, of course, the seemingly inherent ‘contradiction’ of the term ‘womansoldier’, that is, between self and state perception of women as natural nurturers and killing, was resolved and justified by the need to eliminate an inhuman, fascist enemy that flouted the rules of warfare.”
It was said that a special school was created and though it trained only two thousand women, Soviet propaganda dwelled on the deeds of heroic snipers such as Rosa Shanina, Natalia Kovshova or Liudmila Pavlichenko. Pavlichenko, who is credited with 309 kills – the highest score for a woman sniper – is, without doubt, a major figure among DNR/LNR fighters, Amandine Regamy writes. Regamey has a PhD in Political Science. She is currently teaching Russian Language and Civilisation at the University Paris I.
Threat to Masculinity
Moreover, according to Regamey, these war legends were embodied in fiction and popular culture, and used in official propaganda. As women served as snipers for the Soviet army in World War II, the legend provides particular post-Soviet characteristics, but have also become an embodiment of the fear of threatened masculinities. He further cites that in a TSN newsreel on March 9, 2015, the Ukrainian journalist reporting about the everyday life of the Donbass battalion explains: “The men admit that here, on the frontline, they are less afraid of tanks or heavy artillery than of the enemy snipers. For this function, on the terrorist side, is carried out by girls.”
However, if it were simple propaganda, the rumors about women snipers fighting against Russian troops loomed large is critical in the recent war as it serves as a justification for violence against women. “If you are detained – that’s it, you’re a sniper,” writes Russian journalist and former serviceman Arkady Babchenko, “even if you were just going to the market for potatoes. The fact that you are detained is already evidence.”
Better Snipers
“Women volunteers are put forward because they allow the representation of a nation united against aggression. Different media reports stress their dedication, their skill, presenting them as proficient military specialists.”, Regamey said. What are the skills requested or required from sharpshooters anyway and are women better at these? Reddit users, forums, articles answer-
1. Women are more accurate on target
Unlike what some people say, being a sniper does not require you to face combatants head to head (mostly). Of course you need to be fit to carry bulky equipment, but more than physical strength, you’ll also be tested mentally. Since snipers are often deployed in isolation, a great deal of mental fortitude is needed to remain focused and keep eyes on the target.
Source: Reddit
2. Women had to train harder than men
Like Rahul said, it’s harder for women to get into combat roles, so they have to be a lot better than the average man.
It’s not at all unusual for underrepresented groups to outperform the majority. They have to work harder to qualify and maintain.
Source: Reddit
3. Women are better at pulling the trigger smoothly.
Source: Reddit
4. Women notice details better
https://www.sniperforums.com/threads/are-women-better-snipers.13030/post-142533
Source: SniperForums
5. Women can endure better than men
Source: Defensemedianetwork.com
As Regemey said, the skills requested from sharpshooter are not linked with physical strength, “but with those characteristics often attributed to women such as patience, precision, and cunning, nothing contradicts the idea that they could be snipers.”#
