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Military serviceOne in four Swiss plans to make the army
The Swiss army wants to attract more women to its ranks. And it could well achieve it, not without some obstacles which still slow down female commitments.
The Swiss army wants more women in its ranks.
LABFor the moment, they are only 1.6% in the ranks of the Swiss army, but it could soon change. A recent study by Confederation reveals that 26% of young Swiss people would see the uniform. The majority of them associate this experience with a positive personal challenge: 50% consider the service as demanding but beneficial, 44% see it a way to discover themselves and 30% greet the improvement of the physical condition it provides. Almost a third of them associate the obligation to serve convictions related to equality between genres.
Lack of information and fear of sexism
However, if the open -mindedness is real, the lack of information constitutes a size barrier for some. Only 38% of respondents believe they are well or moderately informed on military service. Most rely on their entourage to learn more, far ahead of traditional media, social networks or school.
Other notable brakes: the obligation to serve over a long time without leaving the system, fears linked to sexism, lack of respect for privacy (dormitories and shared showers), as well as the physical and psychic requirements perceived as too important.
Measures to better inform and convince
Faced with this observation, the army wants to intensify its communication. It plans to modernize its information media (website, video portraits, pregnancy and parenting sheets) and to make the guidance day compulsory also for women. However, this change requires a modification of the constitution.
Among the measures deemed the most convincing by young women are the emphasis on the usefulness of military missions (39.6%), the possibility of doing the service with other women (36.4%) or even the development of the service with more flexibility and specific support (hygiene, menstrual cycles, etc.).
Better pay the soldiers
To boost the female share in the army, elected officials asked, last June, better remuneration for household women and those with low occupancy rate. Currently, a mother of two high -graded children is as much a recruit, 69 francs per day. According to the national advisor Marcel Dobler (PLR/SG), this discourages their commitment. Supported by elected officials on the left and right, he calls for targeted financial incentives. The Federal Council, it sees no need to act.
