In an interview on Monday last week, former vice president Annette Lu (呂秀蓮) said that her greatest regret in life is that she, as a woman, had no opportunity to perform military service. She said that Taiwan should employ all-out defense, in which the entire public, including men and women, can be soldiers.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of National Defense is reportedly planning to lengthen mandatory military service from four months of training to one year of regular service. Reform of Taiwan’s military service is apparently imminent.
Article 7 of the Constitution says: “All citizens of the Republic of China, irrespective of sex, religion, race, class or party affiliation shall be equal before the law.”
Furthermore, Article 20 says: “The people shall have the duty of performing military service in accordance with law.”
However, Article 1 of the Military Service Act (兵役法) says: “In accordance with the Law, male citizens of the Republic of China are obligated to take military service,” making it clear that Taiwan’s mandatory military applies only to men.
Israeli women have been serving in the military and fighting in wars since the country was founded in 1948. The Israeli Defense Service Law says that all male citizens aged 18 to 29 and female citizens aged 18 to 24 are required to perform military service, except under special circumstances. The length of military service is three years for men and 21 months for women. After completion of service, except for a minority of personnel who need to continue serving for special reasons, all others are reassigned to the Israel Defense Forces’ military reserve force.
In Taiwan, some people entering their mandatory service opt for six months of substitute service instead of four months of regular service — although some substitute service can be cut to four months if family circumstances necessitate it.
Substitute service is usually firefighting and social service, such as assisting in ambulance service and care for the infirm. This arrangement is well- intended, but it does not help with the tense situation in the Taiwan Strait, while US lawmakers are deliberating the Taiwan policy act and China responds with an unending series of verbal and military threats.
While visiting Taiwan in July, former US secretary of defense Mark Esper suggested that Taiwan should lengthen conscription to at least one year, with training for men and women, and that Taiwan should strengthen its reserve mobilization capacity.
The Military Service Act should be amended to stipulate that women of military age must perform substitute service such as firefighting, social services and ambulance assistance. Length of service could be discussed by the legislature.
Men performing substitute service should be transferred in phases to regular military service. Notably, the Ministry of the Interior is too lenient about approving shortened substitute service based on family matters, and in allowing servicemen to serve in units near their homes, which causes management difficulties. Bringing women into the service would add extra personnel to help remedy this problem.
At a time of crisis, men and women, young and old, have a duty to serve the country. Furthermore, numerous opinion polls have shown that more than 40 percent of women would be willing to serve in the military, which demonstrates their patriotic enthusiasm.
Amending the law to allow women of service age to perform substitute service, while transferring men from substitute to regular service, is an option worth trying.
Chao Hsuey-wen is an assistant professor and holds a doctorate in law from Fu Jen Catholic University.
Translated by Julian Clegg
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