1980s

In the 1980s, the Soldiers’ Home Association clearly communicated its position to its members, which was updated in the organization’s rules: “The purpose of the Association is to assist the Finnish Defence Forces by maintaining soldiers’ homes in peacetime and wartime in order to promote the mental growth of soldiers and increase their comfort in their free time.”

During the decade, women’s participation in national defence work was strongly highlighted. Throughout its existence, the Soldiers’ Home Association had done conscious national defence work and was now ready in every way to act as the leading women’s organiZation in voluntary national defence work.

A step away from being capital-centric had been taken in 1979, when Ulla Mustakallio from Lahti was the first person outside Helsinki to be elected as the chairperson of the Soldiers’ Home Association. One of her favorite topics was increasing women’s knowledge of national defence. She considered the idea of peace, which in the 1980s was particularly successful among women, to be heresy: “The only possible antidote to me is to disseminate appropriate, versatile and as extensive national defence information as possible. It is also the right way to lay the foundation for lasting motivation for soldiers home work.”

From 1986 to 1991, the Soldiers’ Home Association was chaired by Kirsti Ikonen, who was the first president of the association to do gainful employment at the same time. During his term, she developed especially economic thinking and rational working methods within the organization.

In the 1980s, soldiers’ home work in the field continued to develop strongly. There was a growing belief that soldiers’ home services needed to be brought to where they were needed.