IDF to recruit more women soldiers
Tel Aviv (AsiaNews) – The Israeli Defence Force (IDF) wants to stem the number of young women who receive exemptions from military service. For this reason, it is working on getting new legislation, a high-ranking female officer told The Jerusalem Post yesterday, ahead of International Women's Day.
Annually, 42 per cent of Israeli women of military age ask for and receive exemptions from the military on the grounds that they are religious or that they cannot serve in a male-oriented military environment.
“We are working on changes to legislation that will put an end to this phenomenon and lower the number,” the high-ranking officer said. “The changes to the law will make it more difficult to get an exemption with the religious claim.”
According to the officer, 30 per cent of the IDF today is made up of female soldiers, but only 1,000-1,500 serve in combat units. Instead, female soldiers are needed in combat units to serve for three years like males, as opposed to women’s standard two years of service.
“We are in the midst of a process to better integrate women into the IDF,” the officer said. “In the end, we hope to see a military with more opportunities for women and more open to a woman's role.”
Most recently, female soldiers enlisted in Field Intelligence Units and over the coming year the IDF hopes to open new opportunities in infantry and artillery units.
Another issue is creating more opportunities for women to climb military ranks. Today, there are three female brigadier generals and some 20 colonels, but that number has remained the same for the past several years.
“It would be a mistake to judge the advancement of women in the IDF by these numbers,” explained the officer. “"Instead, what needs to be evaluated is the number of important positions female officers hold in the IDF. With that, there has been an improvement.”
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