U.K. Defense Secretary Gavin Williamson announced that all roles in the U.K. military, including the special forces, will be open to women because the "armed forces will be determined by ability alone and not gender," per the BBC.

The other side of the pond: Jim Mattis, Williamson's American counterpart, said last month that "the jury is still out" on whether a three-year-old U.S. military policy allowing women to serve in traditionally all-male combat roles has been successful because not enough women have taken part.