Equality in Arms: Denmark Introduces Female Conscription for Military

Additionally, the country aims to bolster its defence expenditure by nearly $6 billion (£4.6 billion) over the next five years to align with NATO requirements.

PM Metter Frederiksen said, ‘We do not rearm because we want war. We are rearming because we want to avoid it.’ Europe has experienced heightened tensions following Russia's complete invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Announcing the reforms on Wednesday, Ms. Frederiksen stated that the government aims to attain ‘complete gender equality’. Defence Minister Troels Lund Poulsen stated, ‘More robust conscription, including full gender equality, must contribute to solving defence challenges, national mobilisation and manning our Armed Forces.’

In the Scandinavian country, women already have the option to volunteer for military service.

Now, the government intends to implement female conscription starting from 2026, making Denmark only the third European nation, alongside Norway and Sweden, to mandate women's participation in the Armed Forces. Furthermore, the government plans to extend the conscription period from four to 11 months for both men and women.

Last year, approximately 4,700 individuals completed military service, with women comprising about 25% of this figure. This quota will be raised to 5,000 individuals per year.

Currently, Denmark's Armed Forces consist of around 20,000 active personnel, including approximately 9,000 professional troops. With a total population of nearly six million, the country is also increasing its military expenditure from the current 1.4% of GDP to 2% to meet the targets set by the NATO military alliance.

Lawmakers made the decision last year to eliminate a springtime public holiday in order to allocate additional funds for military expenditure. Denmark has demonstrated robust support for Ukraine, offering advanced weaponry, financial aid, and even conducting training sessions for Ukrainian pilots on US-manufactured F-16 fighter jets.

In recent developments, two Nordic nations, Finland and Sweden, have opted to join NATO, a move that comes as the alliance reinforces its defence capabilities in Europe in response to the Russian incursion into Ukraine.