Denmark, military conscription starts also for women, service extended to 11 months

Military conscription also applies to women in Denmark, who from July will be able to be called by a sort of 'lottery' to serve a period of conscription, just like men. This was stipulated in an amendment to the Military Conscription Act approved by the Danish Parliament, which came into force this month, and which also provides for the extension of military service from four to 11 months upon reaching the age of 18.

Priority will be given to female volunteers, to whom military service was already open, but if the number is insufficient, other women who have registered on 'Defence Day' will be called by 'draw'. The aim is to achieve 'full gender equality' in defence. Last year, some 4,700 Danish men and women performed a short period of military service. Among them, about 24% were volunteers.

With the new conscription regulations, the total number of those serving in the military each year is expected to rise to 6,500 by 2033. There are currently around nine thousand professional soldiers serving in the Danish army, but the Copenhagen government announced in March an increase of USD 5.9 billion in defence spending over the next five years to meet Nato targets. Colonel Kenneth Strom, head of the Danish army's conscription programme, said that the change was 'based on a political decision and a political agreement between the parties'. But not only that. Strom explained that it is 'obviously based on the current security situation to obtain more combat power and to have the necessary skills for the Army, Navy, Air Force or even Special Operations Forces'.