Ukraine has dramatically expanded the number of women potentially eligible for military service, adding them to the pool of people who could be called up in the event of war.
The country’s Ministry of Defense announced the news on Wednesday, publishing a list of hundreds of professions whose female members will no longer be exempt from registering for the draft. The list includes a wide range of jobs, such as accountants, librarians, secretaries, journalists, lawyers, pharmacists, and veterinarians.
The new rule will apply to women working in these fields who pass medical qualifications and are between the ages of 18 and 60. Men in Ukraine are already required to register for conscription at 18.
“This is not about conscription after reaching some age, as it is for men,” Alexandra Ustinova, a member of Ukraine’s national parliament, told Coffee or Die Magazine. “It is about conscription in wartime. And considering more than 122,000 Russian troops are at our borders, the decision seems logical, timely, and sensible.”
“This sends a powerful signal to Moscow that Ukrainians are ready to resist,” she went on, adding that “the decision to educate as many people as possible to hold arms and to be ready to serve seems a good one.”
Officials in Kiev, along with American authorities, have accused Russia of building up forces on its border with Ukraine and planning a possible invasion of its neighbor in the near future. The Kremlin has repeatedly denied these allegations, saying that it will only act defensively, but that it is concerned about NATO expansion in the region.
Moscow and Washington are set to conduct diplomatic talks in early January to attempt to resolve the issue.
In October 2018, Ukraine passed a law on gender equality in its armed forces, establishing that men and women would be held to the same service standards in the military, as long as it is “in compliance with legislation on the protection of motherhood and childhood.” Previously, female soldiers had frequently not been appointed to the same daily duties as men, and they were prohibited from serving above the age of 40.
In July, photos were published of a brigade of women cadets marching in high heels during preparation for a parade celebrating Ukraine’s 30th anniversary of independence from the Soviet Union. Some condemned the outfits as demeaning, but the Ministry of Defense said that female soldiers would look “beautiful and strong” in the uniforms.
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