NATO state plans on conscripting females

2025-07-05 06:58:06

(MENAFN) Denmark has passed a new law requiring women to take part in military conscription, marking a shift toward gender-equal defense policy as NATO boosts its readiness in response to perceived threats from Russia following the Ukraine conflict escalation in 2022.

Under the legislation, women turning 18 on or after July 1, 2025, will be subject to the same draft lottery as men and could be called up if volunteer numbers are insufficient. Female conscripts will serve under identical conditions as their male counterparts. The law also extends the duration of mandatory service from four to eleven months.

This policy change aligns with NATO’s broader push to strengthen defenses, as agreed during the recent summit in The Hague. Meanwhile, the EU has backed a €150 billion ($171 billion) loan plan to support increased military spending. Russia has dismissed Western claims of aggression as baseless fearmongering.

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen first announced plans to conscript women in March, presenting it as a step toward full gender equality. In 2024, around 4,700 Danes completed military service, with women making up about 24% of that number.

Other NATO countries are following suit: Latvia plans to conscript women by 2028, while Norway and Sweden already have gender-neutral conscription laws. In Germany, Defense Minister Boris Pistorius is advocating the return of the draft for men, which ended in 2011.

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