Women can now apply for all jobs in the UK military

Oct 29, 2018

This article is published in collaboration with Thomson Reuters Foundation trust.org.

A female soldier stands outside the Royal Military Barracks, near the scene where a British soldier was killed in Woolwich, southeast London May 23, 2013. The soldier was hacked to death on Wednesday by two men shouting Islamic slogans in a south London street, in what Prime Minister David Cameron said appeared to be a terrorist attack. REUTERS/Luke MacGregor (BRITAIN - Tags: CRIME LAW MILITARY POLITICS SOCIETY) - LM1E95N0P0Y01

Including the elite Royal Marines and the Special Air Service (SAS) Image: REUTERS/Luke MacGregor

Umberto Bacchi

Journalist, Thomson Reuters Foundation

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Britain will open all combat roles to women - including elite units and special forces - in a landmark for gender equality in the military, the government said on Thursday.

"For the first time in its history, our armed forces will be determined by ability alone and not gender," defence minister Gavin Williamson said in a statement.

Women already serve in combat roles for the armed forces of a few developed nations, including the United States, Canada and Israel.

Britain lifted a ban on women serving on the frontline in 2016, but some fighting roles stayed out of reach, the ministry said. Now all jobs, including the elite Royal Marines and the Special Air Service (SAS) would be up for grabs, it added.

"Opening all combat roles to women will not only make the armed forces a more modern employer, but will ensure we recruit the right person for the right role," Williamson said.

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(Reporting by Umberto Bacchi @UmbertoBacchi, Editing by Lyndsay Griffiths. Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers humanitarian news, women's and LGBT+ rights, human trafficking, property rights, and climate change. Visit http://news.trust.org)

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