In a dense forest north of Copenhagen, 20-year-old Katrine scans the terrain for potential threats, completing a military exercise that marks a historic shift toward gender equality in Denmark’s armed forces.
Part of a unit that recently completed training in Høvelte, 25 kilometers from the Danish capital, Katrine is among many young women who volunteered for military service this year — previously the only path for women to join the army.
“Given the state of the world today, this is necessary,” she told the Associated Press on June 11. “I think it’s fair that women participate equally alongside men.”
Earlier this month, the Danish Parliament passed a new law expanding mandatory conscription to include women turning 18 after the law’s adoption. Girls will now be subject to the same lottery-based selection process as boys — a historic change introduced amid rising tensions in Europe following Russian aggression and increased NATO defense spending.
These reforms are part of Denmark’s 2024 national defense agreement and were originally scheduled to take effect in 2027, but implementation has now been accelerated to summer 2025.
Colonel Kenneth Strom, head of Denmark’s recruitment program, told AP that this step is essential considering the current global security context.
“Increasing the number of conscripts simply means more combat power,” Strom stated.
Denmark, a country of roughly 6 million people, currently maintains 9,000 professional troops. With the new reforms, the number of annual conscripts is expected to rise to 6,500 by 2033, up from 4,700 in 2024.
Under existing law, all physically fit males over the age of 18 are subject to mandatory service, partly determined by lottery. Until now, women were excluded from this system — though female volunteers already made up about 25% of the 2024 intake.
The length of service is also being extended from four months to 11 months, including five months of basic training, followed by six months of operational service and additional courses.
