As part of a modernization process to meet the challenges of the 21st century, the Nepalese Army has transformed into an equal opportunities employer and has actively started enrolling women soldiers for different tasks and appointments. Even though the concept of women soldiers is not new in the Nepalese Army, it has never before reached the proportions of today. The Nepalese Army has been recruiting women soldiers for the last forty years. Today women soldiers are viewed as equals to their male counterparts. The total number of women in the Army at present is 1073. The Army aims to maintain a 5 per cent female work force. Listed below are some of the fields in which women soldiers are on active duty.

• Nursing Service: The Nepalese Army started recruiting women nurses since 1961 AD. Today women constitute about 22 per cent of the total staff at Birendra Military Hospital.
• Medical Doctor: The first lady doctor was enrolled in 1969 AD. Today, the Nepalese Army has more than 54 lady doctors in active
  service.
• Engineers:The Nepalese Army started recruiting women engineers since 2004 AD. Women engineers currently work as Civil and Computer Engineers.
• Legal Service: The legal service opened up for women in 1998 AD. Since then, there has been a steady influx of lady officers in the Nepalese Army Legal Department.
• Parachute Folders in the Parachute Regiment:Women were enrolled as parachute folders since 1965 AD Parajumping for women para folders commenced in 1969 AD and the practice has been continuing to date.

Since 2060 BS, a number of other services have opened up for women soldiers. They are as follows:

• Military Police: : Women soldiers have been active in the military police, a service which enforces discipline in the Army.
• Signalers: Today more and more women are working as signalers.
• Office staffs:: No office is complete without the support of the office staffs that play a vital role in dispatching important documents and daily maintenance of the office premises. Today women soldiers are largely responsible for such jobs in the Army.
• Army Band: Women soldiers have shouldered their fair share of ceremonial duties through the Army Band.
• Military Drivers: Today women soldiers are slowly taking over the job of driving light vehicles.
• Military Clerks: Women have been involved in important clerical jobs in the Army since 1969.
• Aircraft Technicians: Women soldiers have found employment in the Air Serviceas well.
• Combat, Combat Support and Combat Service Support Arms: women of various ranks are currently employed in various Combat, Combat Support and Combat Service Support Arms.

Inclusion of Female in Nepalese Army:

Female enrolment in Nepalese Army began in 1962. Current status of women participation in the Nepalese Army is shown in the table below:

In the Nepalese Army there are a total of 1073 female personnel in all ranks, which makes 1.2% of the total army strength. The Nepalese Army aims to maintain a 5% female work force of the total strength, which is not very different from most foreign militaries. Among the officers of the Nepalese Army, female officers make up 7.49 %. Junior Commission and Non- Commission Female Officers constitute 8.01% and 64.77% respectively of the total female strength.