Gender-specific Call of Duty: A Note on the Neglect of Conscription in Gender Equality Indices

TL;DR

This paper highlights that current gender equality indices overlook gender-specific conscription, which could significantly alter country rankings if included, especially affecting Nordic countries with selective conscription policies.

Contribution

It introduces the importance of including gender-specific conscription in gender equality indices and discusses potential impacts on country rankings.

Findings

Gender-specific conscription is neglected in current indices.

Including conscription data could change country rankings.

Nordic countries' gender equality scores are affected by conscription policies.

Abstract

We document that existing gender equality indices do not account for gender-specific mandatory peace-time conscription (compulsory military service). This suggests that gender-specific conscription is not considered to be an important gender issue. If an indicator measuring the gender equality of mandatory conscription was to be included in gender equality indices with appropriate weight, then the relative rankings of countries in terms of measured gender equality could be affected. In the context of the Nordic countries, this would mean that Finland and Denmark - the countries with mandatory conscription for men only - would have worse scores with respect to gender equality compared to Sweden and Norway, countries with conscription for both men and women - and Iceland, which has no mandatory conscription, regardless of gender.