In 2022, a record number of women completed voluntary military service in Finland.

This figure exceeded one thousand persons for the first time, as reported by the Defense Forces of the country.

Also, the number of women who just started their service this year was a record high.

In total, 1,040 women completed voluntary service in the ranks of the Armed Forces and the Border Guard Service this year.

Another 1,211 women started their service this year, which is also the highest number in the country’s history.

In general, the number of women who completed voluntary military service and were released into the reserve has been increasing since 2009.

According to the Finnish Armed Forces, as of December 31, 2022, there are over 12,000 women in the reserve who have completed training in both the Defense Forces and the Border Guard Service.

The military emphasizes that interest in voluntary military service is growing each year.

In 2022, 72% of female reservists served 347 days of service, says Colonel Kari Pietiläinen, Head of Training at the General Staff of the Finnish Defense Forces.

In Finland, women, in particular, are trained to serve in special military units. At the beginning of 2021, the Finnish hunting regiment Utti announced a unique recruitment intended only for women. Almost 300 women wanted to join the special unit.

In Finland, the recruitment of servicemen is conducted according to a mixed principle – through conscription and contract service. Women in the Finnish Defense Forces serve voluntarily.

About 20,000 people annually complete military service through conscription in Finland in the armed forces consisting of 25,000 people. The country’s population is 5.5 million people.