Denmark has compulsory military service for women, leaving almost 80 percent of Swiss families pessimistic about the future

Until now, military service in Denmark applies to men aged 18 and over. The training lasts four months. But because there are enough volunteers, only part of each year group is called up – via a lottery system.

One reason for the many volunteers are the women. About 25 percent of recruits in the basic military service in Denmark are women. By comparison, in Switzerland, where women can also voluntarily join the military, 0.7 percent of soldiers were women in 2019, and this share doubled to 1.4 percent in 2022. In January 2024, 11,871 men and 255 women attended the recruit school (RS), equivalent to a two percent female share.

Longer and more

There are now many changes to military service in Denmark, Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen announced on Wednesday.

On the one hand, the service is extended to eleven months. Conscripts must first complete five months of basic training and then complete six months of operational service and additional training.

On the other hand, military service should be extended to women. To this end, the government wants to increase the number of people performing basic military service by 300 people to 5,000. According to official information, the Danish Armed Forces currently has around 9,000 professional soldiers and around 4,700 conscripts in basic military service.

All in the name of equality

Only in 2017 did neighboring country Sweden introduce military service for men and women, because the Swedish government spoke of a deteriorating security situation in Europe and around Sweden. But the Danish project has nothing to do with the current geopolitical situation, according to Frederiksen.

Rather, the reason for the change is that the government has full control Equality for men and women strive for. The law is expected to come into effect in 2026, according to Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen. (yam)