Defence Resources Board chief: women's conscription in Estonia is matter of 'when, not if'

The head of Estonia's Defence Resources Board, Anu Rannaveski, says the country will not have enough men for military conscription in the future. She believes mandatory military service for women is therefore inevitable — only a question of timing.

Estonia will not have enough men to sustain its conscription system in the coming years, according to Anu Rannaveski, the head of the Defence Resources Board (KRA). In her assessment, mandatory military service for women is no longer a matter of principle but simply of timing.

«It is not a question of whether, but when,» Rannaveski stated, underlining that demographic realities leave little room for debate. As the pool of eligible male conscripts shrinks, the armed forces will need to look beyond the current system to maintain operational readiness.

Estonia already allows women to volunteer for conscription on equal terms with men, and a number of them serve each year. However, making service compulsory for women would mark a significant shift in national defence policy and would require legislative changes in the Riigikogu.

The suggestion comes amid broader discussions across NATO's eastern flank about how small nations can sustain credible defence forces in the face of the ongoing security threat posed by Russia. Estonia has consistently maintained one of the highest defence spending rates in the alliance relative to GDP.