The Japanese military aims to increase the number of women by 2036

Japan wants to significantly increase the number of women in the military by the mid-2030s, the Ministry of Defense announced. This is part of a new goal set this year to raise the proportion of women in the Japan Self-Defense Forces (SDF) to 13% by March 2036, up from the current 9%.

The Defense Ministry has committed to improving conditions for female personnel following a highly publicized sexual assault scandal. This scandal involved a former female soldier who shared her story on YouTube after an internal investigation was dropped. The ministry aims to “promote active engagement of female personnel” while emphasizing the need for a “balance between professional and private life.”

As opportunities for women within the SDF continue to expand, the ministry is enhancing facilities by creating gender-specific spaces in every garrison and base, as well as female quarters onboard ships. Tokyo is increasing military spending and seeking more recruits in response to growing concerns about China’s territorial ambitions in the region.

Low Birth Rate in Japan

However, challenges such as dangerous missions, low salaries, and an early retirement age around 56 years old are discouraging young Japanese people from joining the military. Recruitment is also complicated by Japan’s low birth rate and demographic decline, with around 10% of the 250,000 military positions remaining vacant.

Among NATO member countries and their partners, the average proportion of women in the military is over 12% in 2022, according to a European Parliament Research Service report. This figure was slightly over 10% in 2014. In the United States, women accounted for about 18% of recruits in 2023, according to the Defense Ministry.

Increasing the number of women in the SDF will “bring greater diversity of perspectives to our missions, including disaster relief operations and other activities involving direct interaction with the public,” said the Japanese Defense Ministry. Rina Gonoi, a former soldier who was sexually assaulted while in the military, reached an agreement with the government and a former colleague in January after a years-long legal battle.