In a dense forest near Copenhagen, with camouflage paint on her face, 20-year-old Katrin stares at the horizon for approaching threats, says the Associated Press in a material dedicated to the changes in the Danish armed forces related to the recruitment of women, BTA reported.
After nearly four months of military training, the young woman and the rest of the fighters in her unit are conducting their final exercises near the Danish army barracks in Hovelte, 25 kilometers north of Copenhagen.
Katrin and other female soldiers, all of whom spoke to the AP on June 11 on condition that only their first names be used for security reasons, volunteered for military service earlier this year. Until now, this was the only way for women to join the kingdom's armed forces.
However, Denmark is seeking to increase the number of young people in its armed forces and for this reason approved new rules. They come into force tomorrow. According to them, Danish women who will come of age after July 1 will be entered into the lottery to fill the armed forces on an equal basis with their male compatriots. The change is being made against the backdrop of the Russian threat and increased investment in the armed forces of NATO countries, notes the AP. The reforms in Denmark were initially outlined in 2024. They were expected to be implemented in early 2027, but in the end it was decided to do so this summer.
Col. Kenneth Strom, head of the military recruitment program, told the AP that the decision was based on the “current security situation“. "They will participate in NATO's collective deterrence. Increasing the number of conscripts will lead to more combat power," the colonel said.
With a population of about six million, Denmark has about 9,000 professional soldiers. The new rules are expected to increase the annual number of conscripts to 6,500 by 2033, compared to 4,700 last year.
According to Danish law, all able-bodied men over the age of 18 are called up for compulsory military service. But because there are usually enough volunteers, there is a lottery system, so not all young men serve in this compulsory military service. Women, unlike men, could previously only join the army on a voluntary basis. Starting tomorrow, women will be able to be part of the lottery system.
The length of service is also being extended from four to 11 months. Conscripts will first spend five months in basic training, followed by six months of operational service, plus additional training.
The decision is part of a broader buildup of military power in the Scandinavian kingdom. In February, Copenhagen announced plans to strengthen its armed forces, creating a fund that would increase the kingdom's defense spending to more than 3% of GDP. Part of the recruitment program is financed by the so-called Accelerator Fund.
“We see the heightened security situation in Europe. We have focused on the Baltic countries, where Denmark provides a lot of soldiers. So I think this is a general effort to strengthen Danish defense,“ researcher Rikke Haugegaard of the Royal Danish Defense College told the AP. But she also noted a range of challenges, from inadequate equipment and a lack of additional barracks to potential cases of sexual harassment.
In 2017, neighboring Sweden introduced military conscription for both men and women. Norway introduced its own law implementing military conscription for both sexes in 2013.