Ukraine war drives surge in women joining Estonia's voluntary defense organization
Estonia's Women's Voluntary Defence Organisation (Naiskodukaitse) saw its membership increase by more than a third after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, according to a recently defended ethnology bachelor's thesis.
Ulvi Karu, who recently defended her bachelor's thesis in ethnology at the University of Tartu, studied the motivation of women who joined the Naiskodukaitse starting in 2022. She conducted ten interviews with women at least 35 years old who became members during the war in Ukraine and are part of the Tartu district.
Karu noted that Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022 triggered a much larger wave of new members than previous events such as the Bronze Night, the war in Georgia or the annexation of Crimea. In 2022, the number of members increased by more than one-third.
The women interviewed said their main reason for joining was the desire to gain skills to cope better in a potential crisis and help their loved ones. Many had no previous contact with the military field, and military activity seemed intimidating at first. One respondent had considered herself a pacifist. However, after training, most overcame their fears.
While some women already had some crisis readiness, all said they gained additional knowledge from the organization. After mandatory basic training, members can specialize. Almost all interviewees were ready to take on a specific crisis role, except one with small children who planned to leave the country if war broke out.
Most respondents did not see a conflict between family duties and national defense: they would first ensure their family's safety, then go fulfill their assigned role. Karu sees this as a broad understanding of national defense.
The interviews also revealed that the organization helped women regain confidence: two women over 50 went back to school. All women in the study remain members, citing a sense of belonging and opportunities for continuous self-development as reasons for staying.
Karu herself has been in the organization for over 20 years. She said the research can help understand what messages to emphasize when introducing the organization, such as discussing civilian protection and crisis readiness.
