Denmark has passed new rules to extend compulsory military enlistment to women for the first time, effective for those turning 18 after Tuesday, amid growing Russian aggression and a broader military buildup across NATO. The duration of service is also extended from four to 11 months.
Denmark to draft women into army amid growing Russian aggression, military expansion
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TL;DR: Key points with love ❤️Denmark has passed new rules to extend compulsory military enlistment to women for the first time, effective for those turning 18 after Tuesday, amid growing Russian aggression and a broader military buildup across NATO. The duration of service is also extended from four to 11 months.
Trending- 1 Norway introduces gender-neutral conscription (2013)
- 2 Sweden institutes military draft for both men and women (2017)
- 3 Denmark outlines gender-parity reforms in a major defence agreement (2024)
- 4 Denmark announces plans to bolster military with $7 billion US fund (February)
- 5 Denmark's parliament passes new rules for gender-neutral conscription (earlier in June)
- 6 New conscription rules effective for women turning 18 after Tuesday
- 7 Program brought forward to summer 2025 (originally early 2027)
- 8 CBC News publishes the article (June 30, 2025)
- 9 Expected to bring up to 6,500 annual conscripts by 2033
- Increased number of young people in the Danish military
- More combat power for Denmark and NATO
- Potential challenges with ill-fitting equipment, lack of barracks, and sexual harassment
- Increased defense spending for Denmark (over 3% of GDP)
What: Denmark is implementing gender-neutral military conscription, extending compulsory enlistment to women for the first time, and increasing the duration of service from four to 11 months, aiming to boost its military strength.
When: Published on June 30, 2025. New rules passed by parliament earlier in June. Effective for women turning 18 after Tuesday. The program was brought forward to summer 2025 (originally early 2027). Denmark announced plans to bolster its military in February. Expected to bring up to 6,500 annual conscripts by 2033, up from 4,700 last year. Norway introduced similar law in 2013, Sweden in 2017.
Where: Denmark, specifically Hovelte (north of Copenhagen). The CBC News published the article. The policy is influenced by the security situation in Europe, particularly the conflict in Ukraine and focus on Baltic countries.
Why: The move is driven by the 'current security situation' due to Russian aggression and its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, as part of a broader effort to strengthen Danish defense and contribute to NATO collective deterrence.
How: New rules passed by Denmark's parliament will enter women turning 18 after Tuesday into a gender-neutral draft lottery, alongside men. The duration of service is extended from four to 11 months. A $7 billion US fund is being set up to finance the military buildup, with parts of the conscript program financed by the 'Acceleration Fund.'