Countries in Uproar Over Rejection of "Female Conscription"... German Millennials & Gen Z Men Protest: "Why Only Men?" [Current Affairs Show]

Female Conscription Proposed by 37-Year-Old Woman
"You Must Serve in the Military to Be Granted Rights"
A Global Debate Amid Low Birth Rates and Aging Populations

■ Broadcast: The Asia Business Daily "So Jongseop's Current Affairs Show"

■ Host: Political Specialist So Jongseop

■ Director: Producer Lee Miri

■ Guest: Reporter Lee Hyunwoo

In Switzerland, a constitutional amendment proposing mandatory military service for women was recently overwhelmingly rejected in a national referendum, intensifying debates over “female conscription” across Europe. Since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, concerns about the conflict escalating have grown, and as low birth rates and rapid aging continue across Europe, the pool of available military personnel is shrinking. This has led to a clash between arguments that it is no longer sustainable to rely solely on male manpower and counterarguments that conscripting women would further worsen the declining birth rate.

'Female' Who Proposed Swiss Female Conscription: "You Must Serve in the Military to Exercise Your Rights"

Swiss female soldier. Photo by Yonhap News

The central figure behind the Swiss national referendum on female conscription is 37-year-old Noemie Roten. In 2013, she founded a civic group called “Civil Service” and has argued that women should also be subject to conscription. In Switzerland, if more than 100,000 signatures are collected, a constitutional amendment can be put to a national vote. In 2023, Civil Service gathered over 100,000 signatures to formalize the amendment. Their target was Article 59 of the Swiss Constitution. The current constitution stipulates that male citizens are subject to conscription, while women may serve voluntarily. Roten’s group demanded that this be changed to “all citizens regardless of gender.”

Roten is known for her progressive views and herself volunteered for military service, serving as a truck driver before being discharged. She argued, “Women must serve in the military to be granted the qualifications to exercise their rights as true citizens.” She further claimed that women must also experience the unique interpersonal relationships and organizational life that men encounter in the military, in order to reduce disadvantages in social life, relationship-building, promotion, and competency within organizations. The idea that “true gender equality requires women to serve in the military” or that “women can develop their capabilities through military service” is said to have existed even during the French Revolution over 200 years ago.

However, Swiss society responded coldly. Many women’s organizations opposed the proposal, and strong resistance was reported not only among men but also among older generations. Ultimately, over 84% voted against the amendment, and it was rejected. The Swiss government also took a negative stance on female conscription, arguing that taking away time women would otherwise spend on housework and childcare could be detrimental to the national interest in the long term. Given the severity of the low birth rate, the prevailing opinion was that sending women to the military was not desirable.

In contrast, Denmark officially announced the introduction of female conscription in July, but there has been little notable social backlash, unlike in Switzerland. This is largely due to differences in system structure. Denmark maintains a standing army of about 20,000, and each year conscripts 4,000 to 6,000 men and women aged 18 or older. Both men and women undergo physical examinations, but less than 10% are actually selected, making it closer to a limited conscription system. Other European countries with female conscription, such as Norway and Sweden, operate similar systems. Thus, Denmark’s approach is different from “universal mandatory service.” Since only a small number of physically or temperamentally suitable candidates are chosen during peacetime, the burden of “everyone must serve” is relatively low, and public opposition has not spread widely.

Switzerland’s conscription system is different. Similar to South Korea, Switzerland has a relatively small number of officers (around 4,000), but more than 150,000 enlisted soldiers. Despite having a population of less than 9 million, Switzerland’s military is comparable in size to those of France, the United Kingdom, and Germany. Since most men who pass the physical examination are not “selected” but are in fact required to serve, expanding conscription to women would immediately spark controversy over “large-scale forced conscription.”

There are also significant differences in security environments. Denmark is geographically close to Russia and, although not directly connected by land, must consider the possibility of conflict across the Baltic Sea as a Nordic country. In contrast, Switzerland is a landlocked country thousands of kilometers from the Eastern European front, and its relationship with Russia is not considered particularly poor. As a result, it was difficult to form a consensus that “female conscription is urgently needed.”

Growing Controversy Over Female Conscription in Germany... Millennials & Gen Z Men Push Back

AP Yonhap News

Germany is cited as the European country where the debate over female conscription is most heated. As the backbone of NATO forces in Europe and a potential logistics base in Eastern Europe in the event of a crisis, Germany faces strong pressure to increase its military manpower. The German government is reportedly seeking to “reinstate conscription” from 2027, allowing men to be conscripted to make up for any shortage of volunteers. Here, young men-so-called Millennials & Gen Z-are strongly protesting, asking, “Why are only men being conscripted?”

In Germany, women are already allowed to serve voluntarily, and the proportion of female soldiers is not insignificant. Out of a total force of about 180,000, there are around 25,000 female soldiers, a figure that cannot be ignored in terms of both absolute numbers and proportion. For this reason, some women’s groups argue that the proportion of female soldiers should increase. However, the majority of young women, women’s organizations, and the political establishment, as in Switzerland, are opposed to female conscription. They fear that forcibly conscripting women due to manpower shortages would further exacerbate the declining birth rate, creating a vicious cycle.

The impact of female conscription on the country’s image is also a major point of opposition. It is argued that this would amount to the government officially designating the country as a conflict zone, which could damage foreign investment and the nation’s external image. Drawing on South Korea’s experience, where ongoing military tensions have led to the repeated use of the term “Korea Discount” in financial markets, the logic is that female conscription is not necessarily in the national interest.

Low Birth Rate and Aging: A Major Issue for South Korea as Well... National Defense vs. Gender Equality

This debate cannot be dismissed as a purely European issue. In South Korea, calls for and opposition to female conscription have repeatedly clashed, and it is expected that a resolution will not come easily. The issue is closely tied to both national defense needs and the value of gender equality, and institutionalization is not something that can be accomplished quickly. Conscription is not simply a matter of sending out enlistment notices and conducting training. The state must manage hundreds of thousands of people, and the process of shifting large numbers of industrial workers into defense roles entails enormous costs and social adjustments.

Especially in South Korea, where there is no precedent for female conscription since modern times, the challenge of designing such a system is even greater. Everything from defining the pool of conscripts to redesigning training environments and command structures would need to be reconsidered. For example, if training instructors remain predominantly male, significant difficulties may arise, requiring the recruitment of female instructors. Upgrading barracks and living facilities for women in the military is also cited as a costly and time-consuming task.

Even Israel, which has operated a gender-neutral conscription system for nearly 80 years since its founding, continues to face numerous challenges. This serves as a warning that female conscription is not simply a matter of making a decision. In Israel, for example, during the Hamas invasion, female intelligence officers reportedly warned their superiors about the risk of an attack, but male commanders ignored them, leading to a worsening of the situation. Discriminatory culture and decision-making structures regarding women in the military must first be addressed, and such changes ultimately require both financial resources and social consensus.

Europe, facing the combined pressures of prolonged war, security concerns, and demographic changes, has brought the debate over female conscription to the forefront. Switzerland’s overwhelming rejection of the amendment reaffirmed that the issue is not just about military manpower, but a choice that involves citizenship, equality, family, the economy, and national image. While circumstances differ by country, the issue of “female conscription” is likely to remain a hotly debated topic in both Europe and South Korea for the foreseeable future, as it is difficult to find a solution without social compromise and concessions.