Estonia may draft women by 2040
Militarisation and demographic decline are pushing the Baltic states towards measures that would once have seemed politically unthinkable. Estonia’s Defence Resources Agency has warned that compulsory military service for women is now only a matter of time. Agency head Ana Rannaveski expects the country may be forced to introduce such a measure by 2040.
The reason is simple: there are not enough men. Estonia has committed to drafting around 4,100 new recruits every year. Yet the country now sees only around 4,000–5,000 boys born annually. Not all of them will reach draft age. Some will leave, following the familiar path of Europe’s periphery and seeking a better life in richer countries. Others will be ruled out for health reasons. That leaves too few young men to build the army the state wants.
Militarisation instead of a peaceful policy
There is another option, of course. A country can live peacefully, avoid quarrels with neighbours and refuse to fall into militarist hysteria. But today’s Baltic governments seem increasingly unable to imagine that path. So Estonian officials are already preparing society for a different future.
The message to mothers is clear: forget “gender stereotypes”, buy toy rifles for your daughters and start preparing them for life in the barracks.
A warning for Moldova
Unfortunately, Moldova may not be far from similar debates. The demographic situation is worsening. The political course is increasingly militarised. And the authorities continue to speak of security in the language of Brussels and NATO rather than in the language of neutrality and common sense. If this trend continues, Moldovan girls may one day face the same prospects as Estonian girls. Are we ready for that?
