Military

Denmark to Conscript Women into Armed Forces

MAR 14 2024·Updated AUG 27

Story

Image credit: Wikimedia Commons

The Facts

Denmark on Wednesday announced plans to extend military conscription to include women for the first time, along with an extension to the service terms from 4 to 11 months for both men and women.
BBC News
Currently, only physically fit men over 18 are conscripted for military service. However, eligible young men are selected through a lottery system because there are enough volunteers. Last year, women who volunteered for military service accounted for 25.1% of 4,717 conscripts in Denmark.
Military.com
According to official figures, Denmark has about 9K professional troops and 4.7K conscripts undergoing basic training. The government reportedly aims to increase the number of conscripts to 5K.
ap
The new system will take effect in 2026. However, as it requires a change in the law, political parties will negotiate over legislation in the coming weeks. Last June, the Danish Parliament agreed to a defense settlement calling for gender equality in conscription.
guardian
A founding member of NATO, Denmark has also announced plans to boost its military budget to 2.4% of the country's gross domestic product, or an increase of about 40.5B Danish crowns ($5.9B), over the next five years — well above NATO's target for member states.
Al Jazeera
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said the government is "rearming" to achieve "full equality between the sexes." With this move, the country will join Norway and Sweden, fellow European nations that conscript women.
ap

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The Spin

Pro-establishment narrative

The war in Ukraine has served as a real awakening to the significance of the defense capabilities of Denmark and other European countries. Expanding conscription is just one way in which Denmark is working on building up its defense sector. Gender equality will not just expand the numbers of people serving, it will also improve representation within the armed forces.

guardian

Establishment-critical narrative

Military conscription in Denmark shouldn't be expanded to include women. Women contribute to society through birthing and raising children and caring for the sick and the elderly. Adding an additional burden of military service on top of their existing responsibilities would simply increase the economic and social gender gaps in Danish society.

International Alliance of Women