Denmark to conscript women into armed forces for first time
Al Jazeera
The country scaled back its military capabilities after the Cold War ended but is reassessing the situation in a changed security climate.
Denmark will call up women as well as men as it expands conscription to respond to Europe’s changing security climate.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said the revised policy was designed to increase the number of young people doing military service.
Conscripts will also be expected to serve more time in the military – 11 months, compared with four months at the moment.
“We are not rearming because we want war, destruction, or suffering. We are rearming right now to avoid war and in a world where the international order is being challenged,” Frederiksen told reporters on Wednesday, indirectly referring to Russia’s military moves in recent years and months.
Denmark, a founding member of the NATO alliance, also plans to boost its defence budget by 40.5 billion Danish crowns ($5.9bn) over the next five years. Frederiksen said defence spending would amount to 2.4 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) this year and in 2025, above NATO’s target for member states.
