Women & Defence

Women in the Estonian Defence Forces

On 30 January, ICDS held a seminar to present its latest report, “Women in the Estonian Defence Forces: Motivation, Attitudes, Experiences and Challenges”, authored by Andres Siplane and based on a survey conducted among members of the EDF. The report was published in Estonian, English and Russian, with support from the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

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Women in the Estonian Defence Forces: Motivation, Attitudes, Experience and Challenges

“Women officers, NCOs and conscripts should become an ordinary sight, not an extraordinary phenomenon in Estonia. In the present-day high-tech national defence, there is no reason to differentiate between people on the basis of gender and to assume that defence is only men’s work… Among other things, we need to change the attitudes in our society that do not favour the participation of women in the military… It is particularly pleasing that the more active involvement of women is supported by current service personnel.”
Hannes Hanso, Chairman of the National Defence Committee of the Riigikogu, former Minister of Defence

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