Even before the establishment of the state of Israel, the country had always taken pride in the central role women played in military organisations.

Here are a few things you need to know about women in the Israeli Defence Forces:

1. All Jewish Israeli citizens are required to complete national service at the age of 18. They must serve a minimum of two years in the armed forces. For women, military conscription is compulsory between the ages of 18-20.

2 Women who were part of the IDF have played a major role in the units fighting the Nazis and have also served in Israel’s 1948 war for independence.

3 According to New York Times, more than 92 per cent of I.D.F. jobs are now open to women — they are fighter pilots, infantry officers, naval captains and Humvee drivers; just 3 per cent serve in combat roles.

4 Israeli women are extremely passionate about serving in the military. In 2001, position of Women’s Affairs Advisor was created to ensure more women are recruited into the services.

5 In January 2014, IDF Maj. Oshrat Bachar made history after she was appointed as the as Israel’s first female combat battalion commander.

6 Male dominance in the higher echelons of the military pose an impediment for women. Miri Eisen, a retired colonel who spent 20 years in the Israeli military, toldNPR, that the role of women in the higher ranks is very limited.

7 In 2014, Israeli-born, New York-based photographer Mayan Toledano, documented the daily lives of young female Israeli soldiers. Toledano who was a part of the army, talks about how young women struggle with identity crisis through two years in the army.