Why Ukraine wants female conscripts for war

Ukraine’s new military conscription law means that women with medical degrees now have to register to join the fight.

Ukrainian servicewoman Nadie, 36, stands at the military camp in the village of Luhanske, eastern Ukraine September 24, 2014
Ukrainian servicewoman Nadie, 36, stands at the military camp in the village of Luhanske, eastern Ukraine September 24, 2014 [David Mdzinarishvili/Reuters]

A new wave of conscription is affecting Ukrainian women, going into effect for women with a medical or pharmaceutical education. When this new law was first proposed last year, it was postponed because of the public outcry. But with Ukraine’s soldiers, volunteers and conscripts alike, going through months of grueling war, there is a growing awareness in Ukraine that the country is in for the long haul. The optimism that the war could end this year is ebbing away. So, what does this law say about Ukraine’s position in the war, and is it a sign of the changing role of women in Ukrainian society?

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Episode credits:

This episode was produced by Fahrinisa Campana and Khaled Soltan, with host Kevin Hirten, in for Malika Bilal. Sarí el-Khalili fact-checked this episode.

Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our lead of audience development and engagement is Aya Elmileik and Adam Abou-Gad is our engagement producer.

Alexandra Locke is The Take’s executive producer, and Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera’s head of audio.

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Source: Al Jazeera

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