Denmark introduces compulsory military service for women – will this also come to Austria?

Denmark introduces compulsory military service for women – will this also come to Austria?

On March 25, 2025, Denmark made a significant decision and announced the introduction of compulsory military service for women. This decision was announced by Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen during a press conference. From 2026, women who turn 18 after July 1, 2025 can be drafted into military service. This marks a crucial turning point, as conscription in Denmark previously only applied to men aged 18 and over. Women only had the opportunity to volunteer and currently make up about 25 percent of the military's basic military service. In addition, basic military service is to be extended from four to eleven months, which will increase the demands on all recruits. Denmark is the second EU country after Sweden to take this step, while Norway also has compulsory military service for women but is not a member of the EU. Loud exxpress.at This innovation could also have an impact on other countries, such as Austria, where there is currently no compulsory military service for women.

Denmark's decision to conscript women comes amid increasing security challenges. The Danish Defense Minister emphasized that women will have to serve under the same conditions as men in the future. However, it will depend on whether there are enough volunteers; otherwise, a lottery system is used to select recruits. The aim is to increase the number of conscripts in defense and civil protection from the current around 4,700 to up to 7,500 in order to meet the country's defense needs, said tagesschau.de.

Compulsory military service for women in Europe

The discussion about conscription for women is not limited to Denmark. This practice is already a reality in other countries. RND reports that in Israel, for example, men have to do three years of military service, but women have to do two years of military service. Gender-neutral conscription has also been established in Norway since 2015. Sweden introduced compulsory military service for all countries between the ages of 16 and 70 in 2017. In Germany, however, compulsory military service was suspended in 2011, and a possible reintroduction, which also includes the recruitment of women, would require a change to the constitution requiring a two-thirds majority in the Bundestag and Bundesrat.

These progressive steps in Denmark are re-igniting the discussion about equality in military service worldwide. It remains to be seen whether Austria and other European countries that currently do not have compulsory military service for women will emulate this decision. However, the trend appears to be towards greater integration of women into military structures, particularly given growing security concerns in the region.