In the IDF, ‘Fight Like a Girl’ Means Defending What You Believe In

Women have served in the IDF since its establishment in 1948. In the War of Independence, the country needed all personnel available, and women of all ages didn’t hesitate to step up, volunteer, and dedicate their lives to the cause. They served valiantly, persevering until the day Israel was declared a state. 

Following the 1948 war, women were submitted to a mandatory draft. They served in roles such as nurses, instructors, and administrative staff. In the 1980s, additional positions began to open up - instructors in combat units, electricians, technicians, and also communication jobs.

In 1994, opportunities greatly expanded when a young South African, Alice Miller, driven by her passion for aviation, challenged the institution and demanded a chance to draft into the IDF pilots course.

Alice Miller

After her request was denied due to her gender, she fought for women’s equality in the IDF. Over time, women’s roles in the army began to change, and by the year 2000, the High Court of Justice ruled that women were entitled to full equality in military service. The first role to open was Air Force pilot, followed over time by fourteen additional positions across both ground and air forces.

Miller’s initiative paved the way for many women, including Sheri Rahat, who in 1998 became an F-16 navigator and the first female graduate in nearly fifty years. Three years later, Roni Zuckerman, granddaughter of two leaders of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, made history as the first female combat pilot.

Today, Israeli women fight side by side with men and have the same opportunities to serve in combat. They make up about 60% of all mixed-gender battalions, training and serving alongside male soldiers from enlistment through deployment on the borders. Like male combat soldiers, women in combat roles are required to extend their service by an additional eight months.

The first mixed combat unit, the Caracal Company, was established in 2004. As a co-ed infantry unit under the Nahal Brigade, it patrols Israel's southern border with Egypt and Jordan, guarding against drug smugglers and terrorist infiltration.

Female Soldier in Caracal Unit

Today, countless co-ed units fight in unison, united in their mission to defend and protect Israel. The Home Front Command’s Search and Rescue unit has been especially active in recent months, most notably during the 12-day Rising Lion operation. Men and women served under immense pressure, pulling bodies from the rubble and rescuing civilians trapped in their shattered homes - all while enduring relentless missile fire from Iran.

Female Soldier in Search and Rescue Division - Operation Rising Lion

“It’s not something that happens in any other country. I put on my uniform and can say that as a 20-year-old woman, I dedicate my life to saving people - people that rely on me to protect them,” shares Private S.W., a lone soldier from the United States serving in the Search and Rescue unit. “As a little girl in New York, I never could have imagined gaining such confidence and responsibility.”

Additionally, Oketz, a co-ed unit specializing in K-9s, was deployed to assist in the operation, bringing highly trained military dogs for combat, search, and rescue. Its female soldiers are also involved in saving people from under the rubble. Women in Oketz are not only lifesavers in disaster zones, but also fighters who enter enemy territories in Gaza and Lebanon, where they help extract terrorists from fortified hideouts.

Female Oketz Soldier

“The feeling of marching with the same weight, at the same pace with some of the strongest men in the IDF is extremely empowering. You uphold the reputation of female combat soldiers in the army and in doing so honor all of those before you who fought to make that equality possible,” expressed Sergeant Major T.F., a former American-Israeli soldier who served in Oketz for nearly three years.

That same determination continues with women now serving in Yahalom, the elite unit of the Combat Engineering Corps. Since 2024, female soldiers here have undergone the same grueling 18-month training as their male peers, mastering explosives, counterterrorism, parachuting, rappelling, and commando warfare.

Female Yahalom Soldiers

The women in Yahalom have carried out multiple engineering missions within Gaza since October 2023.

“Knowing that future female recruits have a variety of roles that weren’t open to me, and generations before, gives me confidence that we will continue to give women a place in the forefront as they deserve,” said First Sergeant L., an airborne mechanic in Squadron 123.

First Sergeant L. - airborne mechanic in Squadron 123

Responsible for the maintenance, repair, and inspection of the aircraft, specifically helicopters, First Sergeant L. also flies with pilots during missions to handle technical tasks in real time.

“Don’t let the voices around you become a barrier and prevent you from achieving what I know you're capable of doing,” she said when asked what message she would give to young women approaching the upcoming draft.

The women of Israel are proud to serve in the IDF and dedicate themselves to their country. As Ben Gurion once said, “Security will not exist if our nation's women do not know how to fight.”

Israeli women in the IDF embody true strength and equality, breaking barriers and defending their nation with unwavering courage. On this International Women’s Equality Day, we honor their dedication, and the legacy they continue to build, proving that leadership and bravery know no gender.