Myanmar’s junta government has initiated the registration process for female military recruitment in the Yangon region. Following the abolition of the conscription law in February last year, which mandated at least two years of military service for men aged 18-35 and unmarried women aged 18-27, the military has since conducted training for nine batches of male recruits.

According to a report by *The Irrawaddy* on Wednesday, the junta government started compiling a list of eligible women in mid-January. The registration drive includes women from industrial hubs such as Hlaing Tharyar Township, home to millions of female factory workers, as well as other townships like Thanlyin, Kyauktan, Kayan, Thongwa, South Dagon, and Dagon Seikkan. Additional areas include suburban townships like Tamwe, Thaketa, Yankin, Dagon, and Thingangyun.

Faced with a severe troop shortage due to ongoing conflicts with rebel forces, the junta has now extended recruitment to women. A resident of South Dagon Township told *The Irrawaddy*, “They are compiling lists in my ward, dividing it into six sections. Seventeen women have already been registered in the second section alone. My elder sister was listed but has already left the country.”

On January 23, the junta updated its conscription law, mandating consecutive military service for family members. Eligible individuals are now barred from leaving the country without junta approval. Failure to comply requires families to provide a substitute recruit, with draft evaders facing up to three years in prison under Article 23 of the law.

Initially, the junta announced plans to recruit women in the fifth batch, but now they may be included in the tenth phase of male recruitment.

Residents of Thaketa Township report that ward administrators are verifying household registration records and identifying family members within the recruitment age range. A local woman stated, “They claim they are currently enlisting men but will return for women within a month.”

Junta recruitment committee chairman and Defense Minister General Maung Maung Aye emphasized that every citizen has a duty to defend the state, urging officials to ensure that all eligible individuals complete military service.

An official from the Naypyidaw recruitment committee told the media that they are only compiling lists and have no immediate plans for female enlistment. However, concerns among families continue to rise. A mother in Yangon voiced her fears, saying, “If my daughter comes home late from work, I worry. How can I hand her over to an army filled with killers and rapists?”

The junta claims that 14 million people, about 26% of Myanmar’s population, are eligible for military service. In response, many young people are fleeing the country or joining anti-regime groups. To compensate for its dwindling forces, the junta has been abducting healthy men from homes, streets, and buses in cities like Yangon and Mandalay. Additionally, exiled citizens illegally entering Thailand are being forcibly returned to Myanmar for conscription.