women have been in the royal navy since 1917. from 1939 to 1993 they were part of the women's royal naval service (wrns) and were called "wrens". since 1993 they have been a part of the regular navy. the royal navy is an equal rights employer, with women having the same opportunities as their male counterparts. in 2012 for the first time a female officer, commander sarah west commanded a major warship, hms portland.