Belgium Plans To Create Special Forces Units Exclusively For Women In 2019-2020 - Reports

BRUSSELS (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 18th November, 2018) The proportion of women serving in the Belgian armed forces is still small but the Belgian Defense Ministry intends to establish a special forces unit exclusively for female soldiers by the end of 2019 or in early 2020, the RTBF radio broadcaster reported citing the ministry.

According to the ministry's data, obtained by the broadcaster, women currently account only for 7.8 percent of around 27,000 active personnel in the Belgian army, with the majority of female soldiers serving in the ground and air forces.

The broadcaster added on Saturday, however, that a larger proportion of women has been promoted to officer ranks, with female personnel accounting for almost 14 percent of all officers in the Belgian armed forces.

Belgian women have been serving in the army in times of peace since 1975. While in 1992, the country decided to abandon military conscription, switching to a professional army, the draft was reintroduced in 2009 on a voluntary basis and currently lasts from three to four years.