The Cabinet Wednesday approved a decree allowing voluntary military service for women in the National Guard, following a proposal from the Ministry of Defence.
The regulation applies to women the enlistment period between 2017-2025.
Defence Minister Vasilis Palmas said detailed information about the application process would be published in coming days, describing the decision as marking “a new era for the National Guard”.
Palmas described the decision as recognising that “defence and security are collective matters, in which every citizen has both the obligation and the right to contribute equally”.
The voluntary enlistment allows women to register at the Limassol Training Centre (KEN Limassol) before selecting the unit where they will serve.
Enlistment is scheduled for 30 and 31 October 2025.
Service duration will range from six to 14 months depending on the category of service chosen by volunteers.
The minister said that the government’s objective was to establish the legislative right for women to serve voluntarily, regardless of the number who express interest.
Palmas explained that whilst the proposal considered potential incentives, authorities determined that providing additional benefits could create inequalities compared to male conscripts.
“If, for example, we gave women allowances higher than those received by men, then we would have the opposite result,” Palmas said.
The defence minister noted that the framework deliberately avoids financial incentives that might disadvantage male soldiers serving mandatory military service.
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