Denmark has enacted a new law requiring 18-year-old women to be subject to conscription starting July 1, 2025. This marks a significant shift in the country’s military policy and reflects a growing trend among NATO members to achieve gender equality in the armed forces. The legislation, which was passed by Denmark’s parliament, mandates that women who turn 18 on or after July 1, 2025, will be required to draw a draft lottery number and may be called up for military service if there are not enough volunteers. The new law also extends the mandatory service period from four to eleven months, with female conscripts serving under the same conditions as men.
The move comes as NATO, of which Denmark is a member, increases its military readiness in response to perceived threats from Russia, particularly following the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in February 2022. At the bloc’s summit in The Hague last week, member states agreed to ramp up defense spending to ensure readiness in the face of potential threats. The European Union has also approved a €150 billion ($171 billion) borrowing plan to support its own military buildup. The Kremlin has consistently dismissed allegations of hostile intent toward Western nations as ‘nonsense’ and fearmongering.
Denmark’s armed forces rely on both volunteers and conscripts, who are called up when volunteer numbers fall short. In 2024, approximately 4,700 Danes completed military service, with women accounting for roughly 24% of that number. Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen announced the plan to conscript women in March, framing it as part of her administration’s push for ‘full equality between the sexes.’ This initiative is part of a broader trend among NATO member states to expand conscription for women, with Latvia planning to implement similar measures by 2028 and Norway and Sweden having already established gender-neutral conscription systems in 2015 and 2018, respectively.
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius has also proposed reinstating the draft for men, which was abolished in 2011. This suggests that the trend of expanding conscription to include both genders is gaining momentum within NATO. The implications of this shift could extend beyond military readiness, potentially impacting social and economic structures in these countries as they adjust to a more gender-balanced armed forces. The move also raises questions about the long-term effects on national defense strategies and the role of women in military service.