Taipei had previously indicated it did not have the resources to train its female reservists
FILE PHOTO: Female soldiers stand in formation during Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen’s visit to a military base in Tainan, southern Taiwan. © Sam Yeh / AFP
Taiwan’s military is to begin preparing a group of female military veterans to undergo five-to-seven days of reservist training next month, the CNA news agency reported on Monday, citing anonymous sources within Taipei’s armed forces.
Taipei’s Ministry of National Defense (MND) said in January that it was to change its policy of training only male reservists but has made no indication as to whether this was due to an increased risk of conflict with Beijing. It did say, however, that all reservists should have similar levels of experience regardless of gender, according to CNA.
The female reservists will be deployed to an “undisclosed location” in Yaoyuan’s Bade District on May 8, CNA said, where they will be given training for five to seven days. The type of training will be dependent on their military rank upon discharge from the armed forces, but the military source did not disclose the number of female reservists who will be trained.
A total of 220 female reservists will be asked to undergo training this year, the MND indicated.
Women in Taiwan are not required to take part in military conscription and compulsory reservist training similar to their male counterparts, but they are eligible to join Taipei’s army voluntarily to serve as officers or soldiers.
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The MND had previously stated that it did not have the necessary infrastructure and facilities to accommodate the training of both male and female reservists. However, CNA reports that this had been a point of contention within the ranks of some reservists who saw it as a form of gender discrimination.
In 2021, Taiwan had 8,915 female reservists within its ranks. Around 15% of Taipei’s 180,000 active armed forces are women. The MND did not specify if or when around 8,700 other reservists might be required to undergo training.
Taipei’s boosting of its armed ranks comes amid increased tensions with Beijing in and around the Taiwan Strait. Beijing says that there is only “one China” and views the island as a breakaway province which remains part of its sovereign territory, while Taiwan maintains that it has the right to self-governance.
