Reuters
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Denmark expanded its military service on Tuesday to include women. Scandinavian countries are looking to recruit more soldiers and strengthen their defense amid growing security concerns across Europe.
Under the law passed by Danish Parliament in June 2023, Denmark requires that women who will become 18 years old after July 1, 2025 register an assessment date for potential military conscription.
Until now, women, who accounted for around 24% of all recruits last year, were allowed to voluntarily join the military.
“In the world situation we are in, we need to have more drafts. I think women should contribute equally to that, just as women do,” Katlin, a recruit for the Danish royal lifeguard, told Reuters without giving his last name.
In Denmark, volunteers are first signed up for drafting, with the remaining numbers drawn in the lottery system.
The military is in the process of adjusting barracks and equipment suitable for women.
“There are a variety of things that need to be improved, especially in terms of equipment. Now it’s made for men, so perhaps the backpack is a little too big and the uniforms are also bigger,” Katlin said.
Denmark, which agreed to promote defence spending last week with its NATO allies, plans to gradually increase its draft period between four and 11 months in 2026, and to increase the number of recruits serving from 5,000 to 7,500 in 2033.
