Denmark introduces mandatory conscription for women amid growing threat from Russia

Denmark is ramping up military spending and begins including women in compulsory military service as of 1 July in a bid to bolster its defence against the growing threat from Russia.

All those turning 18 after 1 July 2025 will be eligible for possible conscription into the Danish Armed Forces. Until now, this has been limited to men, although women were allowed to volunteer.

In Denmark, a lottery system determines who gets drafted: each eligible conscript draws a number from a tombola. If the number is lower than the required number of conscripts not covered by volunteers, it means putting on a uniform.

The country's centrist government, the Greens and most of the conservative opposition agreed on the changes in April last year, today they came into force – coinciding with the day Denmark takes over the rotating EU council presidency.

The new rules should help Denmark address "the current security situation", Colonel Kenneth Strøm, head of the conscription programme, told AP.

They include an extension of conscription duration from four to eleven months, with plans to train 6,500 conscripts annually from 2033 – a 40% increase on current figures. At the moment, the nation of 6 million has 9,000 professional troops. The new rules also make it easier for individuals with diabetes and ADHD.

If need be, the Danish defence minister has the authority to deploy conscripts abroad.

Among the Scandinavian countries, Denmark is the last of the three to include women in the mandatory conscription process. Norway made similar changes in 2013 and Sweden followed suit in 2017.

Denmark has been one of the biggest donors of aid to Ukraine, with allocations of 9.5 billion euros – which is around 2.6% of the country's GDP.

(vib)