Serving women currently comprise almost 12% of the UK Regular Forces and 16% of the Reserve Forces.
Although a minority, their number has proportionally increased over the past three decades. Out of the three military branches, the RAF has the highest proportion of women currently. In 2021, the Government announced a target for women to account for 30% of all those recruited by 2030.
In the past, they were members of separate, women-only military branches. In the early 1990s, the last of these were disbanded and servicewomen were fully integrated into the Royal Navy, Army and RAF. All combat roles have been open to women since 2018. However, women have served in a variety of roles – including on the frontline and in combat situations – in every major conflict and deployment over the past hundred years.
(SOURCES: Ministry of Defence, 2023; House of Commons Library, 2021)
