UK defence minister expected to reopen talks on allowing women to join the Gurkhas

Defence Minister Al Carns has said he will be reopening talks with Nepalese officials to allow women to join the Brigade of Gurkhas.

More than 4,000 Gurkhas are currently employed in the British Army and they are recruited from Nepal.

Speaking in the House of Commons, former Conservative defence minister Andrew Murrison said: "There is one part of the British Armed Forces that doesn't yet have women and that is the Brigade of Gurkhas."

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"Will ministers do what, sadly and not for want of trying, I failed to do, and that is to ensure that that omission is rectified?"

Veterans Minister Mr Carns, a former colonel in the Royal Marines, replied: "So I served with the Gurkhas on various tours in Afghanistan and across the world.

"They are some of the best forces that we have and they do a fantastic job upholding the freedoms we enjoy.

"I'll continue to work with the Gurkhas and I'm looking forward to meeting their ambassador here very soon to discuss issues such as this."

All roles in the UK Armed Forces were opened to women in 2018 by former defence secretary Gavin Williamson.

In 2021, the then British ambassador to Nepal, Nicola Pollitt, spoke to BFBS Forces News, saying: "I would love to see Nepalese women join the British Army just as British women can join all areas of the military now.

"It is something we are discussing with the government of Nepal and I very much hope we will be able to make that happen before too long." 

On 18 January 2025, Chandra Kumar Ghimire officially assumed his duties as the Nepali Ambassador to the United Kingdom and will now likely be involved in these discussions.

Ambassador Ghimire has previously said he will use his role to address the concerns of former Gurkha soldiers including the issue of pensions for those who retired from the Army before 1997.

The regiment, whose motto is "Better to die than be a coward", still carries into battle and on ceremonial occasions wears the traditional weapon – an 18in (46cm) long curved knife known as a kukri.