Finland reforms conscription to attract more women

Finland is reforming its conscription system this autumn to encourage more women to apply for voluntary military service and increase the number of conscripts who enter and complete their service, Yle reports.

Less than 5 percent of women in each age group currently complete military service. The Finnish Defence Forces say more women will be needed as the size of conscription-age cohorts declines further in the 2030s.

Last year, about 76 percent of men in the conscription-age group were assigned to military service. The proportion was last as high in 2014.

Marko Leppänen, a lieutenant colonel and head of the Finnish Defence Forces regional office in North Savo, said there is not yet a shortage of conscripts. However, he said the share of women should be increased as age groups become smaller.

“We need to consider whether conscription should be extended to motivated and capable women,” Leppänen said.

Information days will begin before call-ups

As part of the reform, all 17-year-olds will attend a separate information day one year before the traditional call-ups for boys. The aim is to improve young people’s knowledge of national defence and help them prepare for call-ups and military service.

Thomas Gentz, a staff officer at the Ministry of Defence who is involved in preparing the reform, said many young people currently know little about Finland’s defence arrangements or the content of military service.

Information days have been piloted this year at upper secondary education institutions in Espoo, Jyväskylä and Iisalmi. The final pilot took place on Wednesday at Ylä-Savo Vocational College in Iisalmi.

Julia Kynäkoski from Lapinlahti said she had been considering applying for military service for several years, and that the event strengthened her decision.

“I want to defend my country. It is a very important thing,” she said.

Kynäkoski is studying logistics and hopes to work in transport during her service.

The Finnish Defence Forces plans to organise the information days more widely across different regions next year. In 2028, they are intended to cover every municipality in Finland.

Digital health questionnaire introduced at 16

The preliminary medical examination linked to conscription will be incorporated into the medical examination provided through upper secondary student healthcare.

In future, it will apply to the entire age group, including both boys and girls. This autumn, 16-year-olds will complete a digital health questionnaire for the first time. Those one year older, who will turn 18 next year, will attend preliminary medical examinations connected with conscription in the spring.

The Finnish Defence Forces will use the information when deciding which category of fitness for service each young person belongs to.

Women may join ordinary call-ups from 2028

Changes are also planned for women’s voluntary military service. From 2028 onwards, women will be able to choose whether to attend the current women’s selection events in the spring or the ordinary call-ups held in the autumn.

Joint call-ups were tested in 2024 and 2025 in Uusimaa, Häme and Lapland.