Denmark selects women into the army in the context of Russia's aggressive, military expansion

Katrine, 20, stared at the dense woodland outside the Denmark capital, painted a disguise painting on his face, but swept the range to scan the horizon for threatening.

After nearly four months of military training, the young soldier and her troops spent their final exercises in early June near the Danish army barracks 25 kilometers north of Copenhagen.

Katrine and other women soldiers spoke to the Associated Press on June 11, on condition that their names could only be used due to operational security and volunteered to attend military service earlier this year. So far, this is the only way for women to become part of the armed forces.

The Scandinavian state is seeking to increase the number of young people in the army through its first enlistment. Both men and women can volunteer, and the rest will be filled by gender-neutral draft lottery.

“In the current situation, this is needed,” Katrien said. “I think it’s fair and right for women to participate equally with men.”

Danish women who are 18 years of age on Tuesday will enter the lottery system and be on par with their male counterparts, according to new rules passed by the Danish parliament in early June. This change comes amid the backdrop of Russian aggression and growing military investment in NATO countries.

Mobile according to “current security situation”: Recruitment program manager

Even with the relative security of Denmark, Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine was covered in shadow. Lessons from the Ukrainian battlefield have even penetrated into their training.

“It makes it very real,” Katrien said.

Denmark’s Gender-The equity reform was originally outlined in 2024, part of a major defense agreement. The plan was initially expected to be implemented in early 2027, but has been proposed until summer 2025.

Colonel Kenneth Strøm, head of the recruitment program, told the Associated Press that the move was based on “the current security situation.”

“They can participate in NATO collective deterrence,” Strom added. “Increasing the number of candidates will only lead to more combat effectiveness.”

Denmark is a country with 6 million people with about 9,000 professional troops. The new arrangement is expected to generate up to 6,500 annual enlistments by 2033, up from 4,700 last year.

Under Danish law, all bodies over the age of 18 are required to serve in the military. However, since there are usually enough volunteers, there is a lottery system, so not all young people serve. Women, by contrast, can only be voluntarily before, about a quarter of their accomplices in 2024.

“Some people may be very disappointed to be elected as the military,” said Anne Sofie, part of Katrine's volunteer cohort of volunteers. “Some people may be surprised and far more than they thought.”

The service duration was also extended from four months to 11 months. The candidate will first spend five months on basic training, followed by six months of operational services and other courses.

The “gradual process” of establishing a military

The move is part of the wider military architecture in Nordic countries.

In February, the Danish government announced plans to strengthen its military power by establishing a $7 billion U.S. fund that said it would increase the country's defense spending to more than 3% of GDP this year. Part of the Acceptor Program is funded by the so-called Acceleration Fund.

“We see a growing security situation in Europe. We continue to have conflicts in Ukraine. We are focused on the Baltic countries where Denmark is contributing many soldiers. So, I think this is a general effort to strengthen Denmark's defense.”

But Haugegaard noted that there are many challenges from inappropriate equipment and lack of other barracks to potential cases of sexual harassment.

She added: “In the next year or two, we will build a lot of new buildings to accommodate all of these people. So it will be a step-by-step process.”

In 2017, neighboring Sweden formulated a military draft for men and women after the government talked about the deterioration of security environment in Europe. Norway introduced its own law in 2013, applying military recruitment to both genders