In an effort to promote gender equality and civilian control of the armed forces, a decree signed by President Lula at the end of August allows Brazilian women to voluntarily enlist to serve in the country’s armed forces. Starting next year, up to 1,500 women will be able to enlist and join all of the branches of the military. “Enlistment” is currently compulsory for all men, but only a fraction of them eventually serve in the armed forces.

This move is a landmark step towards creating equal opportunities for women in the Brazilian Armed Forces, making it significantly easier for them to enter the institution. Up to this point, women were only able to enter the military through dedicated courses such as officer schools. Although there are already over 37,000 women in the Brazilian Armed Forces, constituting around 10 % of all the troops, the military suffers from considerable professional segregation as female soldiers serve primarily in the areas of healthcare, education, and logistics.

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