Denmark has officially become the latest NATO member to enact gender-neutral military conscription, with a new law mandating that 18-year-old women be eligible for the draft starting July 1, 2025.
The legislation, passed by the Danish parliament earlier this year, aligns the country’s defense policy with broader NATO efforts to boost military preparedness amid rising geopolitical tensions, particularly concerning the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. At a NATO summit held in The Hague last week, member states reiterated their commitment to strengthening defense capabilities, with increased military spending and recruitment targets.
The law, described by officials as a step toward “full equality between men and women in relation to military service,” requires all women who turn 18 on or after July 1, 2025, to participate in the military draft lottery. If voluntary enlistment falls short, these women may be called to serve—under the same terms and conditions as male conscripts.
Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, who first announced the initiative in March, defended the move as a milestone for gender equality. “It is no longer just about fairness in the workplace,” she stated at the time. “Equal participation in national defense is a reflection of true equality between the sexes.”
In addition to including women in the draft, the legislation extends the duration of compulsory military service from four to eleven months. Denmark’s armed forces currently rely on a combination of volunteers and conscripts. In 2024, approximately 4,700 individuals completed their military service, with women making up about 24% of that number—primarily through voluntary enlistment.
The shift comes as European nations reassess their defense strategies. The European Union recently approved a €150 billion ($171 billion) borrowing plan to support collective military buildup. Latvia, another NATO member, has announced plans to include women in the draft by 2028, having reinstated conscription for men in 2023. Norway and Sweden implemented gender-neutral conscription in 2015 and 2018, respectively.
Meanwhile, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius has proposed reintroducing the draft for men, more than a decade after its suspension in 2011.
While NATO cites increased threats from Russia as the driving force behind these military expansions, the Kremlin has repeatedly dismissed such claims as unfounded and politically motivated.
