site.bta14.7% of Bulgarian Armed Forces Personnel is Female - Defence Minister

14.7% of Bulgarian Armed Forces Personnel is Female - Defence Minister

Sofia, October 27 (BTA) - At present, 14.7 per cent of the personnel of the Bulgarian armed forces is female, Defence Minister Nikolai Nenchev said here on Tuesday. He took part in an international conference "Women, Peace and Security" organized by the Atlantic Club in Bulgaria and the Association of Servicewomen.

The forum takes place in connection with the 15th anniversary of Resolution 1325 of the UN Security Council under the auspices of the Defence Minister.

Of Bulgarian servicewomen, 7.2 per cent are in the Land Forces, 3.8 per cent in the Air Force, 1 per cent in the Navy and around 3 per cent in the structures, directly subordinated to the Defence Minister. At the same time, over 92 per cent of them are represented in the lowest echelons of the armed forces - as privates and sergeants. Female junior officers account only for 5.6 per cent and senior ones - for 1.75 per cent, said Minister Nenchev.

He recalled that all formal obstacles to the admission of women to the armed forces in Bulgaria have already been removed.