Overview

• The Defense Ministry officially removed all assignment restrictions for female Self-Defense Force personnel across every unit following decades of phased reforms.
• The final bans on assigning women to the Ground Self-Defense Force’s Special Weapons Protection Unit and Chemical Protection Unit were lifted effective July 18.
• Deployments of female personnel to contaminated-area units are scheduled to begin in August under revised exposure limits and safety gear standards.
• The policy change was enacted through an amendment to the Women’s Participation Promotion Plan, marking the completion of a gradual integration process initiated in 1993.
• Improvements in protective equipment and established dose limits, combined with strong requests from female officers, enabled safe inclusion in these high-risk roles.