Incentives for Women's Voluntary Military Service in Cyprus

The Cypriot government is trying to encourage women (18-26 years old) to enlist in the military voluntarily by offering incentives such as a 50% reduction in private university tuition fees for those who serve for six months.

The initial idea for women's conscription did not receive the expected response, with the positions of Contract Soldiers (ΣΥΟΠ) remaining vacant. In the latest call for 700 positions, only 305 applications were submitted. Despite the efforts, enthusiasm for voluntary conscription remains low.

Questions are being raised regarding the tuition discount: Which universities does it apply to? For how many years? Will the discount be covered by the universities or the state? In addition, concerns are being raised about unequal treatment of men who serve longer terms and attend other universities or study abroad.

The Minister of Defense had stated that any incentives would create problems of equal treatment, but the tuition discount was announced.