Israel Sees Its Highest Numbers of Female Combat Soldiers

Ynetnews reports: Since the IDF opened up combat roles to women, the number of female combat soldiers has been steadily increasing. The number rose from 435 female combat soldiers in 2005 to 547 by 2012. The women were only in one battalion: Caracal.

However, 2013 saw an explosion in women combat volunteers with 898 joining combat units. With the opening of another mixed-gender battalion—Lions of Jordan—the number jumped to 1,365 women in combat roles.

Finally, 2015 saw the opening of the third mixed-gender battalion—Bardelas—and the number increased to 2,047 female combat soldiers, a number which is expected to increase all the way to 2,100 women in combat roles.

This constitutes a 400 percent increase in female fighters in a single decade. As if that weren’t enough, the IDF is planning on opening up a fourth mixed gender battalion in the near future.