Retired general: Without women, Estonia may run out of conscripts and reservists
Estonian Maj. Gen. (retd) Veiko-Vello Palm says demographics will leave the country short of conscripts and that conscription should be extended to women. He spoke at a public lecture at the University of Tartu.
Estonia will not have enough conscripts in the future because of demographic trends, so compulsory military service should also apply to women. That was the message from retired Maj. Gen. Veiko-Vello Palm at a public lecture at the University of Tartu, where Defense Minister Martin Herem also spoke. The question matters because the country aims to reach more than 4,100 conscripts a year by 2040.
Palm said Estonia cannot meet that target without women. In his view, a larger female presence would also bring more rational and logical thinking to the Estonian Defense Forces.
Renewing the reserve
Conscription has an impact far longer than the roughly one year of service, because conscripts stay on reservist lists and must attend annual exercises afterwards. Palm said the main challenge is renewing that reserve, and that he sees no option other than fully universal conscription.
Even now, Estonia takes only a little over 50 percent of each male cohort, mostly because of health problems. In Finland, which also has universal conscription, about 60 percent of a cohort reaches military training. Palm said even matching that figure would not give Estonia the numbers it needs.
Physical standards and equipment
Responding to objections about physical standards, Palm said a young woman in good shape already meets every requirement set for men. He noted that the defense forces already accept that a 50-year-old and a 22-year-old machine gunner are in different condition. He named physical dimensions as a clear problem and urged the state to develop equipment suited to women, including flak jackets, body armor and helmets.
Earlier discussion
The issue has been raised in recent months. Former Supreme Court chief justice Rait Maruste argued in May that defense obligations should apply to women too. Anu Rannaveski, director general of the Defense Resources Agency, said it is more a question of when than if. This year's intake was cut to about 700 from the usual 4,000. Herem and current Estonian Defense Forces commander Andrus Merilo believe female service should be encouraged but remain voluntary.
