Gender Perspectives in the Study of Estonian Society and Culture: Current State and Challenges

Abstract

Gender issues have become increasingly compelling for both scholars and the general public in Estonia in the past twenty years. This can, for example, be seen in the March 2022 issue of the Estonian cultural magazine Vikerkaar which published a lengthy overview of the history of Estonian feminism (Karro 2022). The overview attempts to show the length of this history and its continuity under different political regimes, refreshing older surveys published by Vera Poska-Grünthal (1936) and Helmi Mäelo (1957 in Sweden, reprinted in Estonia in 1999). Such surveys list notable women and significant milestones, but do not usually delve into the nuances of gender history or feminist thought like in-depth case studies. This more nuanced work has been done in the past seven years by the gender studies research group within the Centre of Excellence in Estonian Studies. The present article reviews the state of Estonian research, both within the research group and more broadly, and points out the main challenges that scholars face.