Compulsory military service should also apply to women. This is the demand of the Swiss Officers’ Association. For the time being, the Department of Defense is relying on voluntary service and is trying to attract more women to the army through advertising campaigns and better conditions. The debate surrounding the inclusion of women in the military also raises questions about the future of the army, as well as the general obligation for men and women to serve.
While compulsory military service for women is not an issue in the armed forces, there is a narrow majority for it in public surveys (Militär Aktuell reported), the approach is currently gaining a lot of momentum in Switzerland. In an interview for the “NZZ am Sonntag”, the President of the Swiss Officers’ Association (SOG), Stefan Holenstein, declared: “It is time that both genders have the same rights and duties in the military”. The army can no longer do without 50 percent of society’s potential, said Holenstein. The SOG’s call for the extension of compulsory military service is not new. The umbrella organization of Swiss officers has been campaigning for a higher proportion of women in the military for years. To this end, it launched the “Army and women’s inclusion” project at the end of 2020. The argument: the inclusion of women in the army is not only relevant in terms of security policy, but is also an important building block for the future of the militia army. The reason for the call for more women in the military is that the army is short of soldiers. This is confirmed by a 2019 report by the Federal Council, which states that many would rather do civilian service or are unfit, which the army is feeling the effects of in the form of shrinking personnel numbers. More women in the military: empowering instead of commanding
The Federal Council – the Swiss government – has not yet spoken out in favor of extending compulsory military service to women. The need to increase the proportion of women in the army has been supported by the Federal Department of Defense, Civil Protection and Sport (DDPS) for several years. With Viola Amherd at the helm of the Department of Defence, the project is currently receiving particular attention and is becoming more concrete. https://militaeraktuell.at/umfrage-leichte-mehrheit-fuer-wehrpflicht-fuer-frauen/ The figures show that women are massively underrepresented in the Swiss army: the proportion of women is less than one percent. With an advertising campaign under the slogan “Security is also female”, the Department of Defense is trying to inspire women to join the army. In promotional videos distributed via social media, female soldiers and female officers talk about their careers, hobbies and experiences in the military. In future, female influencers will also help to get the message across to young women. The realization that the army must keep up with the zeitgeist in order to remain fit for the future has arrived at the Department of Defence. This can be seen not only in the use of social media to reach the intended target group, but also in the measures planned by the Defense Department. On International Women’s Day this year, Defense Minister Viola Amherd presented a report outlining the steps needed to increase the proportion of women in the armed forces. The measures drawn up by the “Women in the Armed Forces” working group range from an office for women within the armed forces to a better balance between military service, career and family.
The report is based on an important finding: in order for future generations to take a greater interest in the military, it is essential to start educating them at school age. The report comes to the sobering conclusion that the fact that the activities and tasks in the area of security policy receive virtually no attention in school lessons means that young people simply know nothing about the army and military service. This is now set to change with information events, so-called security days or security weeks, and the invitation of representatives of the armed forces and civil defense to school lessons. The topic is also to become more present in the leisure sector. Information events and additional training and education camps should give young people the opportunity to get to know the activities of the armed forces at close quarters. The office set up is to coordinate various activities in the area of women’s advancement and serve as a first point of contact for discrimination, sexual harassment and conflict resolution. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOX7PVEk8Gg Keeping up with the times also means making military service more family-friendly so that all guardians (mothers and fathers) can do their duty, as the report states. The compatibility of military service, career, training and family is to be ensured in future through alternative service models and part-time work for both genders, as well as support with childcare. In addition, managers and cadres are to be trained to recognize discrimination, sexism and violence in the army at an early stage and act accordingly. In addition, any future renovation of accommodation for members of the armed forces should take into account the needs of women. But that’s not all: the Department of Defense wants to take further measures and is therefore asking those affected themselves: Why don’t women join the army in the first place? And above all: what would have to change for them to enjoy military service? A study commissioned by the DDPS aims to get to the bottom of these and other questions. The future of compulsory service
The Department of Defense believes that not only the army, but also compulsory service in general, needs a reorientation in order to secure its numbers and is therefore examining various options for the long-term development of the compulsory service system. The report should be available by the end of the year. One of the options being examined is based on the “Norwegian model”. This model envisages compulsory military service for men and women, as Norway was the first country in Europe and NATO to introduce in 2015. The army and civil defense could include those Swiss nationals who are needed. Those affected would not be able to choose between the army and civil defense themselves. Non-Swiss citizens living in Switzerland, on the other hand, could serve voluntarily. Another model envisages general compulsory service for both Swiss nationals and settled foreigners.
A change to the compulsory service system would probably require a revision of the constitution. For its part, the Swiss Federal Council is planning to launch a public debate on the topic, for example through surveys and workshops with representatives of women’s associations, youth and business organizations. Majority of the Swiss population in favor of compulsorymilitary service
The study published a few weeks ago gives an initial impression of the mood among the population on the subject of compulsory military service“Security 2021”which was conducted jointly by the Center for Security Studies (CSS) and the Military Academy at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) in Zurich. The study clearly shows that the idea of extending compulsory military service to women is very popular among the population. 67% of Swiss respondents consider “compulsory service for men and women with a free choice between military, civil or social service” to be conceivable. This represents an increase of 14% compared to 2015 and is the most strongly supported of all the compulsory service models surveyed. The authors of the study attribute the support for general compulsory service to increased trust in the army and other state institutions during the coronavirus crisis. The idea is also supported by civil society. The Geneva-based association “Service Citoyen”, for example, wants all Swiss men and women to be obliged to serve society for several weeks, be it in the military, a militia organization, the fire department or a hospital. The association plans to launch the initiative on August 1, the Swiss national holiday.
