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Israel
Women in the IDF
Standards for admission to the IDF were considerably higher for
women, and exemptions were given much more freely. Only about
50 percent of the approximately 30,000 females eligible annually
were inducted. Nearly 20 percent of eligible women were exempted
for "religious reasons"; nearly 10 percent because they were married;
and most of the remaining 20 percent were rejected as not meeting
minimum educational standards (eighth grade during the 1980s).
A law passed in 1978 made exemptions for women on religious grounds
automatic upon the signing of a simple declaration attesting to
the observance of orthodox religious practices. This legislation
raised considerable controversy, and IDF officials feared that
the exemption could be abused by any nonreligious woman who did
not wish to serve and thus further exacerbate the already strained
personnel resources of the IDF. Women exempted on religious grounds
were legally obliged to fulfill a period of alternative service
doing social or educational work assigned to them. In practice,
however, women performed such service only on a voluntary basis.
Female conscripts served in the Women's Army Corps, commonly
known by its Hebrew acronym, Chen. After a five-week period of
basic training, women served as clerks, drivers, welfare workers,
nurses, radio operators, flight controllers, ordnance personnel,
and course instructors. Women had not engaged in direct combat
since the War of Independence.
Data as of December 1988
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