A smiling female soldier

Women talk about their service

This site contains links and sources where you can listen to women talk about their experiences of military service. Listen to their stories and use the chance to get some practical tips on how to prepare for service and daily life in service, what it is like to be in the reserve and what kind of job opportunities the Defence Forces offers. 

Naissotilaat (“Female Soldiers”) by the Finnish Broadcasting Company 

The series follows the everyday life of women starting their voluntary military service from reporting for service to mustering out. Watching the series, you will learn about the thoughts of these young women about military service and what the training is like. The series is available here  

The Finnish Defence Forces on Instagram

The Defence Forces’ Instagram account (https://www.instagram.com/puolustusvoimat.fi/) is a useful source of information for those interested in military service. In the Highlights, you can find a section “Naiset (Women) Q&A” and see questions and answers concerning voluntary military service for women. The account serves as a useful introduction to the Defence Forces’ activities.

The Finnish Defence Forces on YouTube

Follow the Defence Forces YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/puolustusvoimat) and be amidst the action on land, at sea and in the air. The Defence Forces publishes a lot of video content on its YouTube channel, introducing its activities both at home and abroad.

Other FDF social media channels can be found here: https://puolustusvoimat.fi/some-kanavat).

Job opportunities in the Defence Forces

The Defence Forces employs professionals in various fields, both in military and civilian tasks, across Finland. Completed military service is a requirement for military posts, but not for civilian tasks. You can read about the Defence Forces as an employer and the range of tasks it offers at Careers and training - The Defence Forces 

For more information about the National Defence University, see (https://maanpuolustuskorkeakoulu.fi/etusivu )

1588 women applied to voluntary military service

1588 women applied to voluntary military service

The application period for women’s voluntary military service closed on 1 March 2022. This year, a total of 1588 women applied to conscript service. This was the first time applications were submitted online through the E-service. Women who complete military service are and will be an important asset for the Defence Forces.
9.3.2022 | 12.29
Applying to voluntary military service for women becomes easier as the E-service opens on 20 April

Applying to voluntary military service for women becomes easier as the E-service opens on 20 April

The threshold for applying to the voluntary military service for women will be lower as the E-service becomes available on 20 April 2021. The aim is to make applying easier and to increase the number of applications to the voluntary military service for women. The possibility for submitting the application via the E-service has already increased the number of applications submitted for the other tasks available in the Finnish Defence Forces.
19.4.2021 | 13.20
Voluntary military service for women

Voluntary military service for women

2016 was a record year in terms of women applying for voluntary military service: an astonishing 842 women applied. It is almost 50 women more than the previous applicant record during the 20 year history of women's voluntary military service.
23.2.2017 | 9.55