"Be ready to defend to the best of your ability." Motivations of women to join civil defence: the case of Estonia and the Naiskodukaitse (Women’s Voluntary Defence Organization)

Abstract

Critical scenarios have determined a rekindled interest in civil defence in recent years. In particular, Estonia has registered an exponential increase among women interested in becoming members of Naiskodukaitse, a women's voluntary defence organization. Against this background, this study suggests a different approach that goes beyond the mere historical perspective of the phenomenon. The aim is to investigate motivations that influence women nowadays to consider becoming members of these types of organizations. In order to find the appropriate approach, I adopted a sociological approach to study the phenomenon and formulate adequate policies to implement women's role in the defence sector or address further issues. Women are interested in contributing to their country's national security, but not by undertaking a military career, but rather by searching for different opportunities, more focused on the immediate outcome that their commitment to the organization can generate. The aim of this study is to investigate at what motivates women to join volunteer defense organizations. The research is based on the Estonian Naiskodukaitse, a volunteer defense group. The research design is a single case study, and data is gathered through interviews and an open-ended questionnaire. A qualitative approach is used to analyze the data. The explorative nature of the study corresponds to the qualitative approach that the researcher intends to employ. The study defines volunteer female defense groups, the responsibilities and services they perform, and how they vary from military forces. Furthermore, the study addresses how women are positioned in security studies, providing an overview of their transition from passive security consumers to active security consumers.