Denmark plans to expand military draft to women for the first time and extend service terms
Associated PressCOPENHAGEN, Denmark — Denmark wants to increase the number of young people doing military service by extending conscription to women and increasing the time of service from 4 months to 11 months for both genders, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said Wednesday. She said the government wants ”full equality between the sexes.” Denmark currently has up to 9,000 professional troops on top of the 4,700 conscripts undergoing basic training, according to official figures. “A broader basis for recruiting that includes all genders is needed,” he said, adding it will create “a more versatile and more complete defense.” Under the plan for which there likely is a majority in the Danish parliament, conscripts will first spend five months in basic training, followed by six months in operational service along with supplementary training. In 2017, neighboring Sweden instituted a military draft for both men and women because the Swedish government spoke of a deteriorating security environment in Europe and around Sweden.
History of this topic
As Denmark plans to make national service mandatory for young women, some say they are ready to 'send a signal to Russia'
ABC
Sweden should spend more on defense and increase the number of conscripts, lawmakers recommend
Associated Press
Denmark to conscript women into armed forces for first time
Al Jazeera
Sweden institutes military draft for both men and women
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