Study «Motivation of women»
Survey: "Women's motivations for and barriers to voluntary military service"
In Switzerland, military service is constitutionally mandatory for male citizens, while female citizens can serve on a voluntary basis. Although the number of women performing military service has doubled over the past six years, their overall share remains low. The Swiss Armed Forces aims to further increase the proportion of women. It benefits from new perspectives and ways of thinking, as mixed teams are more adaptable and innovative. This in turn strengthens the collective resilience and defence capability of the Swiss Armed Forces.
To raise the proportion of women in the Armed Forces, it is important to understand the reasons why Swiss women choose to take up – or opt against – voluntary military service. To this end, the Specialised Office for Women in the Armed Forces and Diversity (WiAD) and the external research institute YouGov surveyed 1,317 Swiss women aged between 15 and 25 in the summer of 2023.
Participation in the survey was anonymous and voluntary. Young Swiss women were invited to take part in the study. They were selected to be representative of the population according to age and language region, and their details were chosen at random from the sample register of the Federal Statistical Office (FSO) (Art. 13c para. 2 (SR 431.012.1) of the Statistical Survey Ordinance). The Specialised Office for Women in the Armed Forces and Diversity (WiAD) evaluated the results and compiled the study report and measures.
The study demonstrates a high level of openness among young women towards military service: 26% of participants can imagine volunteering themselves. More than half of the respondents would like more information about the possibility of voluntary military service for women.
The study is part of the Gender Equality Strategy 2030 of the Federal Government.
Contact
Specialised Service for Women in the Armed Forces and Diversity (WiAD)
Swiss Armed Forces
Training and Education Command
Papiermühlestrasse 14
CH - 3003 Berne
Monday – Friday: 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Telephone: +41 58 480 50 00
E-Mail: contact.fiad@vtg.admin.ch
In urgent cases