Denmark, like most European countries, is strengthening its armed forces. But buying more armaments is not enough, there is also a need for soldiers, and for this reason Copenhagen has decided to make military conscription mandatory even for women and not only for men.
In the Scandinavian country, women can already offer themselves as volunteers for military service, but now with the reform under approval to Parliament, the lever will be mandatory starting from 2026 and will be extended for all from four to 11 months.
Denmark will thus become the third European nation to request women to serve in the armed forces. Sweden introduced mandatory military service for women in 2019, while Norway did so 10 years ago.
Fear of a war
“If the war in Ukraine ends and Russia can regain, a war in the Baltic Sea region could burst within two years or a great war between Russia and the European allies of NATO within five years”, provided Amelie Theussen, of the Royal Danish Defgence College, speaking to the Deutsche Welle.
Last year, 4,700 people provided military service, of which about 25 percent were women. This number will be increased to 5 thousand per year. The Danish Armed Forces currently count about 20 thousand active people, including about 9 thousand professional troops.
The country, which has a total population of almost six million inhabitants, is also increasing military spending from the current 1.4 percent of 2 percent GDP to achieve the objectives set by NATO. Last year, the deputies voted for the abolition of a national holiday to increase military spending. Denmark was one of the most convinced supporters of Ukraine, providing them with advanced weapons and funds and training Ukrainian drivers with US-manufacturing F-16 warplanes.
The challenge
The change in the army involves some challenges, some very basic, such as the arrangement of the beds to the equipment standards, but there are also more complicated ones concerning the Ischio of harassment. “There are stories of backpacks that are not good and sporting bras that are not good. But in recent years there have also been terrible stories of sexual harassment or unwanted sexual attention. And in the army they are actively working on this too,” explained Theuscien.
