Women of the Israel Defense Forces:
"Chen" Women's Corps

Women of the IDF: Table of Contents | Pilots & Special Forces | History in Combat

"The Army is the supreme symbol of duty, and as long as women are not equal to men in performing this duty, they have not yet obtained true equality. If the daughters of Israel are absent from the army, then the character of the Yishuv will be distorted." --David Gurion

The Defense Service Law of 1959 defines and regulates the obligation of service in the Israel Defense Forces. According to the Law, all citizens and permanent residents of the State of Israel are required to perform military service. All women between the ages of 18 and 26, who are physically fit, unmarried, have not borne children, and have not objected on religious grounds or grounds of conscience must fulfill their military obligation.

Women currently perform compulsory military service in the IDF for a period of two years, as opposed to three years for males. In 2001, eligibility for women in the military reserves was extended until the age of 38, with an exemption for pregnant women or mothers.

- History
- Structure & Objectives
- Women's Service in the IDF
- The Corps Disbands

History

The role of women in Israel's defense has a long tradition reaching back to the biblical days of Yael and Deborah. Women played a vital role in the underground struggle for Israel's independence, including participation in signals and combat roles in the prestate military cadres: Haganah, Irgun, and Lehi.

In 1948, the IDF began to reorganize its frontline brigades, and the issue was raised as to whether women should be integrated into men's units, or whether separate battalions of women should be formed that would serve in the brigade while remaining independent of it.

The second option was decided upon, and the Women's Corps was thus founded on May 16, 1948. Within a year, however, the Women's Corps was restructured, and female soldiers were dispersed throughout various units. From then and until the corps disbandment in 2001, servicewomen come under the direct command of the commander of the unit to which they are assigned, but the Women's Corps constituted a professional support system for women in the IDF.

Structure and Objectives

Recognizing the uniqueness of women's service, the IDF established the Women's Corps as a parallel administrative system to the command system. Its main tasks were to formulate policy relating to the service of female recruits, to advise commanders on the issue of women's service, and to command the Women's Corps units. The objectives of the Women's Corps were:

To help realize the potential of women in the IDF, in accordance with the needs of the IDF and policies of General Staff.

To advise commanders and servicewomen on specific issues pertaining to the military service of female soldiers.

To be responsible for the instruction and training of female recruits, NCOs and officers.

The Women's Corps was commanded by a Brigadier General. The network established by the Womens Corps performed a large number of functions ranging from advising at the General Staff level to handling matters of individual servicewomen at the personal level, establishing guiding principles for the service of female soldiers, professional training, terms of service, integration of various professions and duties, intersex tension and women's health issues.

Women's Service in the IDF

From 1948 until the 1990's, women were prohibited from engaging in actual combat but were allowed to serve in support and combat-support roles in the IDF. The rationale for this policy was that should a woman be captured by the enemy, the effect on national morale would be devastating. This situation changed following a number of Supreme Court ruling in the 1990's and early 2000's.

All young women with Israeli citizenship are sent their first draft notice at age 17. During the year preceding their induction, they are classified and processed. The initial selection process includes the preparation of a medical profile, a psychotechnical examination and verification of formal education and personal background.

As a result of improvements in the selection process, a large percentage of female candidates for military service are assigned postings before their actual conscription. A considerable number of women volunteer for premilitary courses, taken on their own time (as civilians) before their induction. These courses prepare candidates for military service in specific military occupational specialties. These options are important to both the needs of the IDF, which is interested in making maximum use of the ability of its recruits, and to the recruit, who is personally involved in establishing the course that her military service will take.

Over the course of the years, the number of military occupational specialties open to women in the IDF has expanded and today 92% of all positions within ther IDF are open to women. Women have long served in technological positions, intelligence, operations and training. Likewise, women can be found servicing IDF computerized systems, working as computer programmers, smart weapons systems operators and electronics technicians.

In 1997, a Supreme Court ruling upheld the petition of a servicewoman, Alice Miller, to be allowed to apply for Flight School. The Defense Service Law was thus amended to enable servicewomen to attend Flight School and for woman recruits to serve in units outside the IDF. In 2001, the first female fighter pilot graduated the Israel Air Force flight school and in 2003, the first female combat helicopter finished the arduous course.

All women have the opportunity to participate in an officers course, providing they have met stiff criteria and have demonstrated their ability while in the ranks. Becoming an officer is voluntary, and those who successfully complete the officers course must sign up for an additional nine months of career service. Today, 57% of all officers in the IDF are women.

The Corps Disbands