The number of women serving on contract in the Russian Armed Forces dropped from 30 000 to 11 000 in the period 2007-2013. 4300 of these are officers and non-commissioned officers, says Elena Stepanova from the Armed Forces’ Sociological Research Center to RIA Novosti.
According to Stepanova, this is part of a general tendency of army staff cuts and not specially related to women alone.
“It should be noted that the motivation of women to military service is very high. This is in no case a question of competition or challenge towards the strong half of mankind. Women today serve in the army not to show their strength or significance, but for self-realization in the military-professional sphere”, she explained.
Yesterday Russia’s only female army General Yelena Knyazeva said that women should not replace the thousands of men dodging military service in Russia’s Armed Forces, but should bring up children instead. “It is better for women to get married, have children and bring up their sons who will serve their Motherland”, she told RIA Novosti.
