A record number of women have applied to the Estonian Defense Forces’ military service, which is compulsory for young people, in 2020, reports Estonian public media ERR.
If in previous years an average of 30 young women have applied for 11 months of military service, then in 2020 their number in military service will exceed 50.
Laura Toodu, a spokeswoman for the Estonian Ministry of Defense, explained that men and women, regardless of gender, are subject to the same rules regarding life, training and employment, and that women adapt well to them.
“Women join the military on equal terms, general physical examination is the only aspect where women and men may have different norms, but the rest of the service, including training and equipment, is the same and works the same way,” a spokeswoman for the Estonian Ministry of Defense commented.
On average, more than 50% of young women who have graduated from military service have continued to work in the military field so far, moving to the active service of the Estonian Defense Forces, ERR reports.
–
