If the country wants to significantly increase the number of troops over the next decade, it must expand the role of women in national defence, said Lithuania’s Defence Minister Dovilė Šakalienė on Friday.
“Today, we're in such a position that if we want to have more troops in the next 5 to 10 years, we will have to increase the role of women in defence [...]. The first thing we must do is make full use of our own society’s capacity,” Šakalienė said in a press conference in parliament on Friday titled Women in Total Defence: A Burden or a Guarantee of Success?
“Lithuania is a country committed to the principle of total defence, and total defence does not come with an asterisk in the constitution saying ‘except for women’. We all understand that this means the entire society. If the whole society is needed for defence, then the role of women is not supplementary – it is essential,” she said.
According to the minister, women currently make up about 10% of Lithuania’s armed forces – a figure in line with the NATO average.
“However, their involvement in non-kinetic areas of defence – such as cyber defence, logistics, and strategic communications – is growing rapidly,” Šakalienė added.
She pointed to Ukraine as a model. As of 2023, around 60,000 women were serving in Ukraine’s armed forces.
“They became an inspiration to many. Was it easy? Were some of them professional soldiers before? No. But in such a position, you do everything you’re capable of – and they showed that they are capable of extraordinary things,” she said.
Šakalienė also noted that Sweden’s 2018 decision to reinstate conscription for both men and women has improved military readiness and public confidence in defence efforts.
The minister said research shows that gender-diverse military teams tend to make better strategic decisions due to more effective communication and empathy.
“We are still a fairly patriarchal and stereotype-driven society. Greater visibility of women can help awaken some people to reality. We’re in a situation where all of us must take on responsibilities that we might not have even considered two or three years ago,” she said.
“Now we have more flexible options for service in the armed forces, allowing people to contribute regardless of gender or health limitations,” she added.
Earlier this month, Lithuania’s parliament approved changes to the structure of the armed forces. The reforms will introduce new military units, rename existing ones, and increase personnel numbers, reported BNS.
The proposed legislation aims to expand the ranks of professional soldiers, volunteers, reservists, senior officers, generals, admirals, and cadets.
Under the new framework, the number of professional troops would rise to 20,000, with volunteer soldiers increasing to 6,800 and cadets to 600.
In April, Lithuania’s State Defence Council agreed to target a force of approximately 20,000 troops by 2038.
However, in response to speculation that Lithuania might consider universal conscription – including for women – Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas said on Friday that any military draft should apply only to men.
“Women are capable of absolutely everything. If they want to serve, they must be given the opportunity to do so in the Lithuanian Armed Forces. However, the obligation to be conscripted should apply primarily to men,” Paluckas told reporters.
Newsletter
Every Friday morning.
