Swiss Army Relents on Women's Underwear

One of Switzerland's big ideas to boost military recruitment involves women's underwear. The BBC reports by way of local media that the country has never provided women's underwear to military recruits. All members of the armed services, regardless of sex, are provided with men's underwear. That will change in an April trial, in which women will receive "short" underwear designed for warm weather and "long" underwear for cold, rather than the awkward-fitting and often large men's underwear they currently receive. It's part of an effort to drive up the number of women in the Swiss armed forces from about 1% to 10% by the end of the decade.

CNN reports it's one of several upgrades being made to the current uniforms, which were designed in the 1980s. This time around, "the ergonomics of women, among other things, were taken into account," per the Swiss armed forces' procurement organization, with changes including things like adjustable waistbands. The country has since 2019 had a female defense minister, Viola Amherd. (More strange stuff stories.)