Women can be drafted into Danish military as Russian aggression, investment grows

HOVELTE, Denmark — Peering throughout a dense stretch of woodland outdoors of Denmark’s capital with camouflage paint smeared throughout her face, 20-year-old Katrine scans the horizon for approaching threats.

After practically 4 months of navy coaching, the younger soldier and the remainder of her unit spent early June finishing their remaining workout routines close to the Danish military’s barracks in Hovelte, 25 kilometers (15 miles) north of Copenhagen.

Katrine and different feminine troopers, all of whom spoke to The Related Press on June 11 on the situation that solely their first names be used due to operational safety, volunteered for navy service earlier this 12 months. Till now, that was the one manner for girls to be a part of the armed forces.

The Scandinavian nation is looking for to extend the variety of younger folks within the navy by extending obligatory enlistment to ladies for the primary time. Women and men can each nonetheless volunteer, and the remaining locations will probably be stuffed by a gender-neutral draft lottery.

“Within the scenario the world is in now, it’s wanted,” Katrine stated. “I believe it’s solely honest and proper that ladies take part equally with males.”

Beneath new guidelines handed by Denmark’s parliament earlier in June, Danish ladies who flip 18 after Tuesday will probably be entered into the lottery system, on equal footing with their male compatriots. The change comes towards a backdrop of Russian aggression and rising navy funding throughout NATO international locations.

Even from the relative security of Denmark, Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine casts its shadow. Classes from the Ukrainian battlefields have even filtered down into their coaching.

“That makes it very actual,” Katrine stated.

Denmark’s gender-parity reforms have been initially outlined in 2024 as a part of a serious protection settlement. This system was initially anticipated to be applied by early 2027, however has been introduced ahead to summer time 2025.

Col. Kenneth Strøm, head of the conscription program, informed AP the transfer relies on “the present safety scenario.”

“They might participate in NATO collective deterrence,” Strøm added. “Elevating the variety of conscripts, that will merely result in extra fight energy.”

Denmark, a nation of 6 million folks, has about 9,000 skilled troops. The brand new association is predicted to deliver as much as 6,500 annual conscripts by 2033, up from 4,700 final 12 months.

Beneath Danish regulation, all bodily match males over age 18 are known as up for navy service. However as a result of there are often sufficient volunteers, there’s a lottery system so not all younger males serve. Girls, in contrast, may solely volunteer beforehand, making up roughly 1 / 4 of 2024’s cohort.

“Some will most likely be very dissatisfied being chosen to enter the navy,” Anne Sofie, a part of Katrine’s cohort of volunteers, stated of the brand new feminine conscripts. “Some will most likely be stunned and prefer it much more than they suppose they might.”

The period of service can also be being prolonged from 4 to 11 months. Conscripts will first spend 5 months in primary coaching, adopted by six months of operational service, plus extra classes.

The transfer is a part of a broader navy buildup by the Nordic nation.

In February, Denmark’s authorities introduced plans to bolster its navy by establishing a $7 billion fund that it stated would increase the nation’s protection spending to greater than 3% of gross home product this 12 months. Components of the conscript program are being financed by the so-called Acceleration Fund.

“We see a sharpened safety scenario in Europe. We’ve got the continued battle in Ukraine. We’ve got give attention to the Baltic international locations, the place Denmark is contributing numerous troopers. So, I believe it’s a common effort to strengthen the Danish protection,” stated researcher Rikke Haugegaard from the Royal Danish Protection Faculty.

However Haugegaard notes there are lots of challenges, from ill-fitting tools and a scarcity of extra barracks, to potential circumstances of sexual harassment.

“For the subsequent 12 months or two, we will probably be constructing numerous new buildings to accommodate all these folks. So, it will likely be a gradual course of,” she added.

In 2017, neighboring Sweden instituted a navy draft for each women and men after its authorities spoke of a deteriorating safety surroundings in Europe. Norway launched its personal regulation making use of navy conscription to each sexes in 2013.