“As women, we are capable of anything,” stated Sotiroula Spanou on Wednesday, as she stood before the President of the Republic as the first female volunteer recruit to serve in the National Guard’s Artillery branch.
Speaking at the Larnaca Recruit Training Centre (KEN) during a festive visit by President Nikos Christodoulides, Spanou, who hails from Ormideia and the occupied village of Rizokarpaso, urged other women to follow her lead. “I would advise other women to serve in the National Guard. If I can do it, they can too,” she asserted, marking a milestone in a service that only formally opened its doors to female volunteers in April 2025.
Spanou is a pioneer of the inaugural 2025 intake, a group that represents a shift from the professional female non-commissioned officers who have served since 1990. While women have long been a fixture of the permanent force, the new legal framework allows young women to volunteer for service alongside male conscripts for the first time. The President responded by telling her that while she feels proud to serve, “we are even prouder of you.”
The enlistment of Spanou comes as the Ministry of Defence rolls out a targeted incentive package to bolster future recruitment. Following an initial turnout in October 2025 that officials admitted fell below expectations, the government has introduced a 50 per cent tuition discount at private universities and employment credits for those seeking careers in the police or fire services.
When asked if she had any regrets about choosing one of the military’s most demanding paths, Spanou’s response was immediate: “None at all.” She described her first month in uniform as a period of rapid evolution and constant learning—an experience she called “unprecedented for Cypriot standards.”
The visit concluded with the President affirming that Spanou’s service provides “added value” to the military’s ongoing modernisation.
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