Palm urges Estonia to consider conscription for women

Retired Major General Veiko-Vello Palm says Estonia should consider extending compulsory military service to women, warning that demographic trends could leave the country unable to recruit enough conscripts and replenish its reserves. He made the remarks at a University of Tartu lecture, ERR reported.

Estonia aims to maintain a reserve of more than 40,000 people, Palm said, but births trends indicate the country will not be able to meet a target of accepting more than 4,100 conscripts a year by 2040.

Although military service is compulsory, Estonia currently takes in just over half of each male age group, he said. Health problems are the main reason people drop out before service, while deaths account for a smaller share.

Finland also has universal conscription, but about 60 percent of each age group reaches military training, Palm said. Even if Estonia aimed to match that proportion, he added, it would still fall short of the numbers it needs.

Palm argued that a greater share of women in the armed forces could improve leadership and military decision-making, saying it would encourage more rational and logical conduct. He cited deaths among young men, including those involving intoxication and traffic accidents, as examples of risk-taking he said was not associated with sober judgment.

He said fit young women already meet the physical requirements set for men, while noting that the armed forces have different physical standards for different age groups and for men and women. A separate challenge is differences in body measurements, he said, and Estonia should consider developing equipment suited to women, particularly protective gear such as fragmentation vests, bulletproof vests and helmets.

Palm spoke as a guest lecturer at a public lecture by University of Tartu future studies professor and Defence Minister Martin Herem. He also addressed other personnel issues, including conscripts’ physical fitness and the more active involvement of reservists.