Colombia has opened military service to women for the first time in 25 years. A cohort of 1,296 women have been enlisted in Colombia’s Army last month, February.
Colombia has long had compulsory military service for men ages 18 to 24. The army relies heavily on those young recruits to staff bases, protect infrastructure and carry out administrative tasks, while its professional soldiers confront drug trafficking gangs and rebel groups. This year, officials allowed females in the same age range to voluntarily join the military, in what the army says is part of an effort to strengthen the role of women in its ranks.