The Taiwanese Defense Ministry is reportedly looking at ways to bring more female soldiers into its reserves, increasing the number of troops that could be quickly called up in the event of a Chinese invasion.
The Defense Ministry hopes the Taiwanese legislature will approve amendments that would put female reservists on the same footing as men, especially female soldiers who have only recently been discharged from duty.
Taiwan launched a pilot program for female reservists in 2023. Defense Minister Wellington Koo told lawmakers on Wednesday that only 79 women have completed voluntary reserve training since the program began. Only ten women were approved for training this year and only three of them have completed the courses.
Expanding the program will require more training resources to keep their combat skills sharp, as well as more accommodations for women at military bases. It would also take some time to recruit a larger number of female soldiers into the reserve program. Koo told legislators that any changes to the reserve program would be made with due respect for “legitimate expectations,” which under Taiwanese law means that women who enlisted before changes were implemented would be treated differently than those who enlisted afterward.
The Defense Ministry is also considering changes to the reserve requirements for male recruits. Under the current rules, male reservists can be called for up to four training periods of 20 days or less, within eight years of their discharge. The post-discharge window has already been extended to 12 years for officers and NCOs, and could be expanded for other groups of soldiers.
Taiwan has long required compulsory military service for men, but the period was shortened under public pressure, declining to just four months during the 2010s. The four-month period was derided as little more than a “summer camp,” so it was expanded back to one year in 2023.
Critics still said the Taiwanese military was not serious enough about preparing soldiers for combat. Years of public opposition to conscription and extended military service softened after Russia invaded Ukraine.
Taiwanese and Chinese planners are both worried about the effect of demographic decline on military readiness. Taiwan adjusted its recruitment and retention policies in 2025 after reports showed the size of its voluntary force dropping by some 12,000 over three years.
The Defense Ministry also worried about “brain drain,” as military modernization called for soldiers with high-tech skills, but young people with those skills saw more attractive job opportunities in the private sector.
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