The war in Ukraine has Finland on alert, as they share an 810-mile border with Russia. Concerned about what Russia could do, Finnish women are taking matters into their own hands. Within days of Russia’s attack on Ukraine, women in Finland started signing up for courses to learn how to defend their country in case of a military attack.
Finland has a long tradition of women volunteering during wartime and today’s women want to be ready. Finland’s Women’s National Emergency Preparedness Association says demand for their courses has skyrocketed since Russia invaded Ukraine in February. “Right after the war broke out, our phones started ringing and emails were flying in … and of course the demand for training went up,” says Suvi Aksela, the association’s head of communications. Thousands of women have signed up and another 500 are on a waiting list for the courses.
Finnish entrepreneur and mother of four Sissi Moberg is one of those women focused on learning defense skills. Just days after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, she signed up for a course intended for reservists to learn how to use a gun and move on a battlefield. She recently took another three-day course with hundreds of other Finnish women to learn how to set up camp, light a fire in the rain, navigate in the forest and do first aid. She plans to take more courses to be prepared for a crisis and says, “Courage does not mean not being afraid, but acting despite of that.”
Source: Reuters