Yu orders military to review academy enrollment quotas

Premier Yu Shyi-kun yesterday ordered the Ministry of National Defense to examined its recruitment scheme for military academies and redress a gender bias that restricts the number of places available for women.

Yu ordered the ministry to report back in two weeks with an evaluation report on how it could improve the quota system.

"Modern warfare is different from what we saw before as now high-tech capabilities are emphasized. Therefore the ministry should re-evaluate the roles women play in the military," Yu said.

His comment followed intensive media coverage this week of two young women who wanted to enter the National Defense Man-agement College (NDMC) in order to relieve their financially-strapped families of the burden of helping with college expenses, but the limited number of spots for females meant one had to give up her dream.

Earlier in the day, the Executive Yuan's Committee to Improve Women's Rights met to discuss the limited enrollment for women at the National Defense Management College and concluded that the defense ministry should review its recruitment policy regarding gender differences.

Cabinet's Spokesperson Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) cited Yu as saying that "though the military needs manpower for combat, it should also have developments that fit the changes of modern society."