In my opinion, its all about the media. If the Army employed people in the same ratios that they exist in the public, it would be harder to call us a sexist or racist or agist organisation, thus putting the government in a good light. Anything tending towards those ratios is positive, and allowing women in GCC is just that.
Sure, but I think there's a big disconnect between that and the idea that this will affect funding. I think the government are concerned about negative media stories concerning certain capabilities being scrapped; I've seen no real evidence that the army's media image enters into the equation particularly.