President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said that the voluntary military enlistment of women represents a significant step for the Armed Forces towards their improvement and modernization. According to him, the measure “reinforces the maxim that a woman’s place is wherever she wants it to be.”
The statement was made this Wednesday (28), in Brasília, during a ceremony commemorating the 25th anniversary of the Ministry of Defense. Taking advantage of the date, it was published in Official Gazette of the Union today a decree that enables the voluntary enlistment of women in military service in the year in which they turn 18.
“The announcements made here demonstrate the efforts of the Armed Forces to modernize and improve. I cite as an example the even greater openness to the entry of women, reinforcing the maxim that a woman’s place is wherever she wants it to be. And we know that the more diverse a situation is, the more representative it will be,” explained the president.
He emphasized that the true mission of the Armed Forces is to serve the Brazilian nation; and to “guarantee order, not in the name of an ideology or in the service of individual political ambitions. But in the name, above all, of the wisdom of a country and the protection of the Brazilian people,” he added.
The president mentioned several areas of action by the Armed Forces aimed at achieving these objectives. These include efforts to address the humanitarian crisis faced by the Yanomami people; combat illegal mining and cross-border and environmental crimes in the country; actions to assist the population of Rio Grande do Sul during the recent floods that devastated the state; community logistical support and basic health care for riverside and indigenous peoples; and combating arson in the state of São Paulo.
Measures
Defense Minister José Múcio detailed some of the measures announced today, in addition to the one related to voluntary female military service, a practice that, according to him, is common in several countries.
Múcio mentioned the creation of a civil career in Defense within the ministry. “With the creation of this career, we will further professionalize our technical staff, bringing in people who will become part of the highly qualified civil service staff for the very specific topics we deal with on a daily basis,” he said.
He added: “Our third highlight is the transfer of the Calha Norte program to the Ministry of Integration and Regional Development. Today, we signed the ordinance that creates the study group to implement the change, under the justification that the program’s profile has more affinities with the Ministry of Integration,” said the minister, referring to the program that operates in 442 municipalities, in order to promote orderly and sustainable development in its areas of operation.
