TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — With plans in place since 2021, the Ministry of National Defense (MND) will begin calling upon female soldiers for recall training exercises with the Armed Forces Reserve Command this May.
The pilot group of female reservists will begin a five-day recall training session on Monday (May 8), reported LTN. The program for the female soldiers, who are all former volunteer soldiers, will cover the same material and exercises as recall training for male reservists.
Female citizens in Taiwan are not subject to military conscription like their male counterparts. However, in recent years there have been some calls to increase female representation in the armed forces. There are currently about 25,000 women in the armed forces, which accounts for around 15 percent of Taiwan's active duty personnel.
The MND made the decision to begin including females in reserve brigades in late 2021, based on assessments that Taiwan must strengthen its reserve combat capabilities due to increasing threats from China. After planning and preparing the necessary facilities, the armed forces are ready to implement the new policy, reported LTN.
The pilot group of female reservists will complete their recall training at a military base in Taoyuan’s Bade District. A total of 220 female soldiers have been selected for this session.
Under the former scheme for recall training, the sessions can last five to seven days. However, the MND is also phasing in a new scheme for annual recall training with sessions that will last 14 days, according to earlier reports.
The female reservists are all former soldiers who chose to pursue a career in the armed forces. However, unlike male soldiers, female soldiers have the option to choose whether they will be listed as reservists eligible for call-up in the future, reported LTN.
The Army's Major General Chung Shu-ming (鍾樹明) was quoted as saying, “There is no distinction between the training of male and female soldiers.” To explain the delay in policy implementation, the general said that living facilities and other equipment had to be considered and properly implemented to ensure troop safety and meet the high standards required for managing recall training exercises.
