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Taiwan to begin requiring female reservists to undergo military training

ROC Central News Agency

04/24/2023 11:51 AM

Taipei, April 23 (CNA) Taiwan's military will ask a first group of female veterans to undergo five-to-seven days of reservist training on May 8, a military source told CNA on Sunday.

They will be asked to report to an undisclosed "strategic location" in Taoyuan's Bade District on that day to undergo five- or seven-day reservists training, depending on their military rank upon discharge, according to the unnamed source.

The reservists will undergo the same required training as their male counterparts but their dormitories and bathrooms will be separated from that of the men, according to the source.

The source did not disclose the exact number of female reservists to undergo this round of training nor the exact location for their training for security reasons.

Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense (MND) announced in January that it would start asking female reservists to complete the same required reservists training as their male counterparts later this year.

Previously, Taiwan's military said it only trained male reservists because it did not have sufficient capacity to accommodate both men and women. Some reservist training participants have complained for decades that this was a form of gender discrimination.

While men in Taiwan are required to take part in compulsory military conscription and reservist training, women were not, but they can join the armed forces voluntarily to serve as soldiers and officers.

The MND did not say whether it is now requiring military training for female reservists because of an increased risk of war with China, but that it is doing so because all veterans regardless of their gender should have the same responsibility.

As of 2021, a total of 8,915 women were listed as reservists. In addition to the reservists, 15 percent of Taiwan's 180,000 active military personnel are women, according to military figures.

The MND said it will ask a total of 220 female reservists to undergo required reservists training this year.

It did not elaborate on whether the approximately 8,700 other reservists will also be required to undergo training in coming years.

(By Joseph Yeh)

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