Women can hold their own across the Estonian Defense Forces, officials say, as demographic shifts make their role in the country's wartime reserve increasingly important.
While conscription and national defense obligations in Estonia currently still apply only to men, Anu Rannaveski, director general of the Defense Resources Agency (KRA), said women in the EDF are by no means limited to support roles.
"Women currently serve as conscripts in units across the board, including those with greater mental and physical demands, such as Special Operations Forces (ESTSOF) and the Engineer Battalion, as well as throughout military intelligence," Rannaveski said.
Around 50 women volunteer for conscription each year, a figure that has remained steady over the 13 years women have been allowed to serve. In some years, half of the women who complete conscription have gone on to pursue military careers.
"They can handle any unit," she emphasized, noting that around 250 women serve across the EDF on active duty.
But demographic changes in Estonia could make their participation increasingly important. Around 8,000 young men currently reach conscription age each year, but in recent years, annual births have fallen to just 4,000 to 5,000 boys.
The country needs about 4,100 conscripts a year to maintain its wartime reserve.
"From 2035 onward, filling conscript ranks without women will become quite difficult," Rannaveski acknowledged.
Women can request specific unit
The KRA chief said women are held to the same standards as men in service. "Sometimes on marches, women will even carry the gear of weaker men," she added.
They do, however, receive one accommodation: the agency generally tries to place women volunteering for service in the unit they choose.
"We try to accommodate their preferences when it comes to choosing a unit for conscription," Rannaveski said. "With the exception of units with their own selection process, such as ESTSOF and Cyber Command, where placement is based on candidates' overall ranking."
Rannaveski said young men in Estonia are liable for conscription between the ages of 18 and 27, while national defense obligations continue to apply to all men through age 61.
The EDF's next conscription intake is scheduled for February.
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