Women to be able to serve in all units of defense forces

TALLINN - More women than before will be able to enter conscript service in Estonia and the defense forces will open all units to women.

Defense Minister Juri Luik signed a bill, according to which more women would get the opportunity to enter conscript service than ever before, spokespeople for the Ministry of Defense said. "The goal is to expand the opportunities for enlisting women in conscript service and allow them to complete conscript service in the same structural units than the male conscripts," Luik said.

Next year up to 108 women would be able to enter the conscript service.

Women are allowed to enter the conscript service as of 2013 and since then the number of women in conscript service has doubled -- from 15 in 2013 to 33 in 2016. In 2017 up to 91 women can enter the conscript service and so far 27 of them have done so.

In case more than 108 women want to enter the conscript service in the future they would be allowed to do so.

A total of 3,200 people are planned to enter conscript service in 2019.