An opportunity to break out of the monotonous world of women
Military service appeals to Estonian women and attracts increasing numbers of them
Female soldier in the Estonian army undergoes extensive military training.
From the source
Officer Maria Toki poses with one of her colleagues in front of the Estonian Ministry of Defense.
From the source
picture
Women in Estonia are highly accepted to join military service, although they are exempt from compulsory service, and the reasons for women's interest in military service are varied.
Some see it as an opportunity for self-improvement.
"Other women see it as an opportunity to break out of the monotonous duties of women," says one female soldier, but the main reason, most of them admit, is the desire to contribute to the defense of Estonia.
The Estonian government has allowed women to join the compulsory conscription service since 2013, but in 2018 it allowed them to apply for service in any branch of the armed forces under a law signed by then Minister of Defense Yuri Luik.
Officer Maria Toki says that when she first joined the Estonian Defense Forces in January 2019, she was mocked by many of her male friends.
"They were very surprised by my decision and said that I am really crazy, because they feel that women do not belong to the army," she added. "However, they quickly changed their minds as soon as they saw how serious I was doing."
"Most of my girlfriends think it's cool," she says.
They enroll voluntarily
Officer Toki is one of a growing number of young women who voluntarily join the conscription service in Estonia, a field that used to be reserved for men but which women have begun to enter professionally.
With global attention to the volatile situation in neighboring Belarus, and the continuing fraught relations between the Baltic states and Moscow, the Estonian army seemed to be betting on a shift in the mindset of young women in Estonia, and attracting them to join the armed forces.
In addition, the Ministry implemented a recruitment program to attract more women to join the compulsory service.
The effort began to pay off with a wave of female soldiers and a large group of female non-commissioned officers.
The Estonian government also began to adopt the so-called female-friendly army forces, and society also began to understand the role of women in the armed forces, despite what a public opinion poll conducted in 2018 revealed, that 50% of those polled agreed that “women are not qualified To fight a war because of their nature, and that national defense should remain the preserve of men.
"There is definitely more work to be done to educate the public that females are suitable for military service and that they are able to serve alongside men," said Defense Ministry spokesman Helmuth Martin Reisner. "Since the inclusion of women in the service of conscription began in earnest." In 2018, this idea was not fully translated into the general population. ”
Russia moves
There is a factor that helped accept the concept of women joining the army, which is the aggressive moves of Russia, especially its invasion of Georgia in 2008 and its recent intervention in the civil war between the Ukrainian government and separatist forces, all of which strengthened Estonia's defensive mentality.
According to a report released last year, nearly 79% of the general population, including a large minority of Russian speakers, support “armed resistance if Estonia comes under attack from any country,” the same percentage of their military-minded Finnish cousins.
The Finns resisted the Soviet Union when they invaded in 1939. "Georgia and Ukraine were definitely a wake-up call for us," says one woman, who is working closely with the new wave of female soldiers.
A male trainer trusts the combat readiness of both female and male regular army soldiers - as well as high school students - who teach and work simultaneously in the army.
"I hope one day I will see a full military unit of women," he says.
The Estonian government has allowed women to join the compulsory service since 2013, but in 2018 it allowed them to apply for service in any branch of the armed forces.
Follow our latest local and sports news, and the latest political and economic developments via Google news