Denmark extends military draft 'lottery' to adult women as Russian aggression fears persist

Women in Denmark who turn 18 are now subject to military conscription, as the country expands its armed forces in response to growing security concerns posed by Russia and in an effort to meet Nato expectations.

The measure, passed by Denmark’s Parliament in June, officially took effect on Tuesday (July 1). It marks a significant shift in policy for the Nordic country, where women have long been allowed to volunteer for military service but were not previously required to enter the national draft lottery like their male counterparts.

“The defence needs all the fighting power we can mobilise,” said Michael W. Hyldgaard, Denmark’s defence chief, when the change was announced in March. “This requires that we recruit from all over society.”

Denmark’s draft lottery pool gets bigger

Denmark uses the draft lottery only when there are not enough volunteers to meet staffing needs. Currently, women comprise around 10 per cent of the Danish Army, Navy and Air Force, according to a report by New York Times.

The decision to expand the draft to include women came about 18 months earlier than initially planned, following support from a liberal political party to place men and women on equal footing in conscription. Experts say the move is driven primarily by practical military needs, rather than by an ideological push for gender equality.

“If we need to build up our forces quickly — and we need the numbers that we’re now aiming for — then we need to draft both men and women,” said Peter Viggo Jakobsen, a professor at the Institute for Strategy and War Studies at the Royal Danish Defense College. He added, “It’s not really an ideological argument about equal rights and equal obligations.”

With a population of six million, Denmark has about 16,600 uniformed personnel in its military and emergency services. The government has committed to increasing its annual intake of recruits for basic training to 6,500 by 2027, up from 4,700 last year. It also plans to extend the duration of compulsory service from four months to 11 months beginning in February 2026.

Concerns over Ukraine war

Analysts say the increase in service duration could discourage voluntary enlistment, making the draft more necessary. Officials have stated there will be no restrictions on women’s roles, and that women will be allowed to serve in combat positions if they meet the required physical standards.

“There is a bigger concern now that the war in Ukraine might actually lead to a bigger war in Europe — so we need this sooner rather than later,” said Anders Puck Nielsen, a military analyst at the Royal Danish Defense College.

While Denmark does not share a border with Russia, its government remains wary of Moscow’s activities in the Arctic and the Baltic Sea, including past incidents involving sabotage to infrastructure.

“I don’t think Danish politicians are fearing Russian tanks in Copenhagen tomorrow or anything like that, but it’s tied to fears that Russia could be a problem,” said Mikkel Runge Olesen, a senior researcher at the Danish Institute for International Studies.

Denmark has stepped up military spending and adopted a more assertive defense posture since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. For nearly a decade, its defense budget saw minimal growth, a reflection of the country’s reliance on the United States for protection, analysts say.

With or without Trump

Jakobsen described this period as one of “decay” in Denmark’s military readiness. “Now,” he said, “Denmark has to rebuild our armed forces basically from scratch — because they’re basically nonfunctional.”

He also noted that former US President Donald Trump’s repeated calls for Nato allies to boost their defence budgets and his administration’s interest in acquiring Greenland may have accelerated Denmark’s commitment to strengthen its military capacity.

“But even without Trump, we would still have reintroduced the draft,” Jakobsen said.