Margaret Thatcher, the United Kingdom 's first female Prime Minister, moved to initiate policy that would
see gender equality in recruitment and pay in the armed forces, but not for pensions or combatant roles. In a
review of the events and Thatcher's formulation of policy toward women in the armed forces, as a debate on
gender equality and social justice, the salient variables and issues taken into consideration include:
Thatcher's personal agenda; her ideological position; her policy priorities; her relations with women
organizations; the domestic and international political situation in which she lived; and such concerns that
she might have entertained, such as appearing to show favoritism toward other women or indeed appearing
to be weak. Thatcher, the Member of Parliament, had preference to gender equality, though, once elected
Prime Minister, prioritized pragmatism and patriotism due to circumstances.