Denmark begins recruiting women for military service

Denmark has announced plans to expand military conscription to women for the first time and increase the standard length of service.

It also wants to increase its defense budget by about $6 billion (£4.6 billion) in the next five years to achieve NATO goals.

Prime Minister Mitter Frederiksen said: “We are not rearming because we want war. We are rearming because we want to avoid it.”

Tensions have escalated in Europe since Russia's massive invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Frederiksen, who unveiled the reforms on Wednesday, said the government was seeking to achieve “full gender equality.”

Meanwhile, Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen said: “More robust conscription, including full gender equality, must contribute to solving the challenges of defence, national mobilization and staffing of our armed forces.”

Women in the Scandinavian country can already volunteer for military service.

The government now plans to introduce compulsory conscription for females from 2026, making it only the third European country – along with Norway and Sweden – to require women to serve in the armed forces.

It also says conscription service will be extended from four to 11 months for both men and women.

Last year, 4,700 people served in the military, 25% of whom were women. This number will be increased to 5,000 annually.

The Danish Armed Forces currently number about 20,000 active personnel, including about 9,000 professional soldiers.

The country, with a total population of nearly six million, is also working to increase its military spending from the current 1.4% of GDP to 2% to achieve goals set by the NATO military alliance.

Denmark was one of Ukraine's strongest supporters, providing it with advanced weapons and funds, and also training Ukrainian pilots on American-made F-16 warplanes.

Two Nordic countries – Finland and Sweden – have recently joined NATO, as the alliance works to bolster its defenses in Europe in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.