What Motivates Ukrainian Women to Choose a Military Service in Warfare?

Abstract

Despite the fact that large-scale active hostilities have been ongoing in Ukraine since 2014, in recent years there has been a tendency to increase the number of women who want to connect their lives with the military profession.

Objectives: to identify the characteristics of the professional motivation of female military personnel (N = 477) of the National Guard of Ukraine with different professional status.

Methodology: the survey method using three questionnaires: “Questionnaire for determining the effectiveness of the service and combat missions by female military personnel”, “Questionnaire for studying the motivation for the professional choice of a law enforcement profession”, “Questionnaire for the study of the socio-psychological characteristics of women in military service”.

Results. The survey revealed the types of motivation that ensure the adaptation and self-realization of women in the military sphere: among female contract service members the pragmatic type prevails, and by female cadets – institutional type. For female cadets who had just begun to study the military profession, the main motives for choosing were self-realization in professional activity, achieving success in a military career and usefulness to society. Female contract service members with experience of military service consider professional self-realization and material support as the main motives when choosing a profession. Currently, these motives contribute to the high-quality performance of official duties by Ukrainian women military personnel and ensure the high efficiency of their service in ordinary and extreme conditions.