According to reports, Defence Secretary Grant Shapps has urged more women to enlist in the military, as the British Armed Forces are still severely short-staffed.
Concerned about the lack of diversity in the military, the Defence Secretary emphasised the need for greater efforts to recruit and retain women in order to ensure a more representative representation of society at large.
When asked what he would personally do to resolve the military’s worsening recruitment crisis, Mr Shapps told The Telegraph: “Something which I am extremely passionate about is having a military which should represent our country as it is today.
“It can’t be right that our military still only has 11 or 12 percent women, for example, when you make up half the population.”
Mr. Shapps conveyed these remarks amid a pronounced recruitment crisis in the Armed Forces, particularly evident in the Navy, which has seen a sharp decline in the influx of new recruits.
Recent reports showed that the Navy is battling with such a scarcity of sailors that it had to decommission two vessels to fulfil personnel needs for its next class of frigates.
There was a notable 22.1 percent drop in the influx of both Navy and Royal Marines when compared to the prior year.
The Navy is forced to post job openings for a Rear-Admiral post in charge of the country’s nuclear deterrence on LinkedIn, the professional networking site.
They have also gone to the defence contractor Serco to hire deckhands for the Royal Fleet Auxiliary.
In response to the defence committee’s report on “Women in the Armed Forces: From Recruitment to Civilian Life,” the Government acknowledged that barriers still impact female recruitment, citing concerns such as the perception that it is more challenging for women to thrive in such environments.