Switzerland wants to allow more women to join the military.
According to local media, Switzerland will encourage female army members to wear women’s underwear for the first time in an attempt to improve recruitment.
Only men’s underwear is included in the standard uniform issued to military recruits under the new scheme.
The trial will have two separate sets of female underwear for warmer and colder months, starting next month.
Women make up about 1% of Switzerland’s armed forces, but the country aims to raise that to 10% by 2030.
According to Marianne Binder, a member of the Swiss National Council, providing women with more appropriate underwear would allow more women to apply for military service.
“The clothing is designed for men, but if the army is really to become more feminine, appropriate measures are needed,” she said.
Until now, women were reportedly given loose-fitting men’s underwear, sometimes in larger sizes, which was inconvenient.
Clothing and other things provided by the military, according to Army spokesman Kaj-Gunnar Sievert, are becoming obsolete.
He said the latest “functional underwear” for female recruits would include “short underwear” for the summer and “long underwear” for the winter, according to the Swiss news website Watson.
Changes to other supplies, such as military gear, protective vests, and backpacks, are being discussed, Mr Sievert said earlier this week. “The emphasis will be on fit and functionality,” he said, noting that sizes had previously been restricted.
Viola Amherd, Switzerland’s defense minister, praised the change, saying that “compatibility” needed to be strengthened.
According to Swissinfo, the new Swiss army uniforms were first adopted in the mid-1980s.
