Latest news with #KennethStrøm
Euractiv
a day ago
- Health
- Euractiv
Denmark introduces mandatory conscription for women amid growing threat from Russia
Denmark is ramping up military spending and begins including women in compulsory military service as of 1 July in a bid to bolster its defence against the growing threat from Russia. All those turning 18 after 1 July 2025 will be eligible for possible conscription into the Danish Armed Forces. Until now, this has been limited to men, although women were allowed to volunteer. In Denmark, a lottery system determines who gets drafted: each eligible conscript draws a number from a tombola. If the number is lower than the required number of conscripts not covered by volunteers, it means putting on a uniform. The country's centrist government, the Greens and most of the conservative opposition agreed on the changes in April last year, today they came into force – coinciding with the day Denmark takes over the rotating EU council presidency. The new rules should help Denmark address "the current security situation", Colonel Kenneth Strøm, head of the conscription programme, told AP. They include an extension of conscription duration from four to eleven months, with plans to train 6,500 conscripts annually from 2033 – a 40% increase on current figures. At the moment, the nation of 6 million has 9,000 professional troops. The new rules also make it easier for individuals with diabetes and ADHD. If need be, the Danish defence minister has the authority to deploy conscripts abroad. Among the Nordic countries, Denmark is the last of the three to include women in the mandatory conscription process. Norway made similar changes in 2013 and Sweden followed suit in 2017. Denmark has been one of the biggest donors of aid to Ukraine, with allocations of 9.5 billion euros – which is around 2.6% of the country's GDP. (vib)
New York Post
2 days ago
- Politics
- New York Post
Women can be drafted into the Danish military as Russian aggression grows
Peering across a dense stretch of woodland outside of Denmark's capital with camouflage paint smeared across her face, 20-year-old Katrine scans the horizon for approaching threats. After nearly four months of military training, the young soldier and the rest of her unit spent early June completing their final exercises near the Danish army's barracks in Hovelte, 25 kilometers (15 miles) north of Copenhagen. Katrine and other female soldiers, all of whom spoke to The Associated Press on June 11 on the condition that only their first names be used because of operational security, volunteered for military service earlier this year. Until now, that was the only way women were allowed to partake in military service, although women have been able to enlist as full-time members of the armed forces since the early 1970s Advertisement 5 The young soldier and the rest of her unit spent early June completing their final exercises near the Danish army's barracks in Hovelte. AP The Scandinavian country is seeking to increase the number of young people in the military by extending compulsory enlistment to women for the first time. Men and women can both still volunteer, and the remaining places will be filled by a gender-neutral draft lottery. 'In the situation the world is in now, it's needed,' Katrine said. 'I think it's only fair and right that women participate equally with men.' Advertisement Under new rules passed by Denmark's parliament earlier in June, Danish women who turn 18 after Tuesday will be entered into the lottery system, on an equal footing with their male compatriots. The change comes against a backdrop of Russian aggression and growing military investment across NATO countries. Russia's looming threat 5 'In the situation the world is in now, it's needed,' Katrine said. 'I think it's only fair and right that women participate equally with men.' AP Even from the relative safety of Denmark, Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine casts its shadow. Lessons from the Ukrainian battlefields have even filtered down into their training. 'That makes it very real,' Katrine said. Advertisement Denmark's gender-parity reforms were originally outlined in 2024 as part of a major defense agreement. The program was originally expected to be implemented by early 2027, but has been brought forward to summer 2025. Col. Kenneth Strøm, head of the conscription program, told AP the move is based on 'the current security situation.' 'They could take part in NATO collective deterrence,' Strøm added. 'Raising the number of conscripts, that would simply lead to more combat power.' 5 Denmark's gender-parity reforms were originally outlined in 2024 as part of a major defense agreement. AP Advertisement Denmark, a nation of 6 million people, has about 9,000 professional troops. The new arrangement is expected to bring the figure up to 6,500 people doing military service annually by 2033, up from 4,700 last year. Under Danish law, all physically fit men over age 18 are called up for military service. Some people — both men and women — volunteer, and the rest of the places are filled by a lottery system that until now has only involved men. Women volunteers make up roughly a quarter of 2024's cohort. 'Some will probably be very disappointed being chosen to go into the military,' Anne Sofie, part of Katrine's cohort of volunteers, said of the new female conscripts. 'Some will probably be surprised and like it a lot more than they think they would.' The duration of service is also being extended, from four to 11 months. Conscripts will first spend five months in basic training, followed by six months of operational service, plus additional lessons. Military buildup 5 The new arrangement is expected to bring the figure up to 6,500 people doing military service annually by 2033. AP The move is part of a broader military buildup by the Nordic nation. In February, Denmark's government announced plans to bolster its military by setting up a $7 billion fund that it said would raise the country's defense spending to more than 3% of gross domestic product this year. Parts of the conscript program are being financed by the so-called Acceleration Fund. 'We see a sharpened security situation in Europe. We have the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. We have focus on the Baltic countries, where Denmark is contributing a lot of soldiers. So, I think it's a general effort to strengthen the Danish defense,' said researcher Rikke Haugegaard from the Royal Danish Defense College. Advertisement 5 Conscripts will first spend five months in basic training, followed by six months of operational service, plus additional lessons. AP But Haugegaard notes there are many challenges, from ill-fitting equipment and a lack of additional barracks, to potential cases of sexual harassment. 'For the next year or two, we will be building a lot of new buildings to accommodate all these people. So, it will be a gradual process,' she added. In 2017, neighboring Sweden instituted a military draft for both men and women after its government spoke of a deteriorating security environment in Europe. Norway introduced its own law applying military conscription to both sexes in 2013.
2 days ago
- Politics
Women can be drafted into the Danish military as Russian aggression and military investment grows
HOVELTE, Denmark -- Peering across a dense stretch of woodland outside of Denmark's capital with camouflage paint smeared across her face, 20-year-old Katrine scans the horizon for approaching threats. After nearly four months of military training, the young soldier and the rest of her unit spent early June completing their final exercises near the Danish army's barracks in Hovelte, 25 kilometers (15 miles) north of Copenhagen. Katrine and other female soldiers, all of whom spoke to The Associated Press on June 11 on the condition that only their first names be used because of operational security, volunteered for military service earlier this year. Until now, that was the only way women were allowed to partake in military service, although women have been able to enlist as full-time members of the armed forces since the early 1970s The Scandinavian country is seeking to increase the number of young people in the military by extending compulsory enlistment to women for the first time. Men and women can both still volunteer, and the remaining places will be filled by a gender-neutral draft lottery. 'In the situation the world is in now, it's needed,' Katrine said. 'I think it's only fair and right that women participate equally with men.' Under new rules passed by Denmark's parliament earlier in June, Danish women who turn 18 after Tuesday will be entered into the lottery system, on an equal footing with their male compatriots. The change comes against a backdrop of Russian aggression and growing military investment across NATO countries. Even from the relative safety of Denmark, Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine casts its shadow. Lessons from the Ukrainian battlefields have even filtered down into their training. 'That makes it very real,' Katrine said. Denmark's gender-parity reforms were originally outlined in 2024 as part of a major defense agreement. The program was originally expected to be implemented by early 2027, but has been brought forward to summer 2025. Col. Kenneth Strøm, head of the conscription program, told AP the move is based on 'the current security situation.' 'They could take part in NATO collective deterrence,' Strøm added. 'Raising the number of conscripts, that would simply lead to more combat power.' Denmark, a nation of 6 million people, has about 9,000 professional troops. The new arrangement is expected to bring the figure up to 6,500 people doing military service annually by 2033, up from 4,700 last year. Under Danish law, all physically fit men over age 18 are called up for military service. Some people — both men and women — volunteer, and the rest of the places are filled by a lottery system that until now has only involved men. Women volunteers make up roughly a quarter of 2024's cohort. 'Some will probably be very disappointed being chosen to go into the military,' Anne Sofie, part of Katrine's cohort of volunteers, said of the new female conscripts. 'Some will probably be surprised and like it a lot more than they think they would.' The duration of service is also being extended, from four to 11 months. Conscripts will first spend five months in basic training, followed by six months of operational service, plus additional lessons. The move is part of a broader military buildup by the Nordic nation. In February, Denmark's government announced plans to bolster its military by setting up a $7 billion fund that it said would raise the country's defense spending to more than 3% of gross domestic product this year. Parts of the conscript program are being financed by the so-called Acceleration Fund. 'We see a sharpened security situation in Europe. We have the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. We have focus on the Baltic countries, where Denmark is contributing a lot of soldiers. So, I think it's a general effort to strengthen the Danish defense,' said researcher Rikke Haugegaard from the Royal Danish Defense College. But Haugegaard notes there are many challenges, from ill-fitting equipment and a lack of additional barracks, to potential cases of sexual harassment. 'For the next year or two, we will be building a lot of new buildings to accommodate all these people. So, it will be a gradual process,' she added. In 2017, neighboring Sweden instituted a military draft for both men and women after its government spoke of a deteriorating security environment in Europe. Norway introduced its own law applying military conscription to both sexes in 2013.
Miami Herald
2 days ago
- Politics
- Miami Herald
NATO Ally Seeks Women to Fight Russia Threat
Peering across a dense stretch of woodland outside Denmark's capital with camouflage paint smeared across her face, 20-year-old Katrine scanned the horizon for threats. After nearly four months of military training, she and her unit spent early June conducting final exercises near the Danish army barracks in Hovelte, about 15 miles north of Copenhagen. Katrine is one of many female soldiers who volunteered for military service earlier this year—a move that, until now, was the only path for Danish women to serve. While women have been able to join the armed forces as full-time personnel since the 1970s, they were excluded from the draft system that has long applied to men. That is about to change. In a landmark move aimed at bolstering Denmark's military readiness, the Scandinavian country is extending compulsory enlistment to women for the first time. Under new legislation passed by Denmark's parliament in early June, young women who turn 18 after the law takes effect will be entered into the national conscription lottery on equal footing with men. Volunteer enlistment remains an option for both genders, but for the first time, unfilled slots will be assigned through a gender-neutral draft. "In the situation the world is in now, it's needed," said Katrine, who welcomed the change. "I think it's only fair and right that women participate equally with men." The policy shift is unfolding amid heightened regional tension sparked by Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Even from the relative safety of Denmark, the conflict has left its mark. Lessons from the Ukrainian battlefield have been woven into Danish military training, giving recruits a sobering glimpse of the stakes. "That makes it very real," Katrine said. The reforms were initially announced in 2024 as part of a sweeping defense overhaul, with implementation expected by 2027. But Denmark's government accelerated the timeline, bringing the start date forward to summer 2025 in response to growing security concerns. "The current security situation" is the main driver of the move, according to Col. Kenneth Strøm, who heads the country's conscription program. "They could take part in NATO collective deterrence," he said of the incoming female draftees. "Raising the number of conscripts, that would simply lead to more combat power." Denmark, home to about 6 million people, currently has roughly 9,000 professional troops. With the expanded draft, the country expects to increase the number of conscripts to 6,500 annually by 2033, up from 4,700 in 2024. Currently, all physically fit men over 18 are called up, while women have only been eligible to volunteer. Female volunteers made up about 25 percent of this year's cohort. "Some will probably be very disappointed being chosen to go into the military," said Anne Sofie, another volunteer in Katrine's unit. "Some will probably be surprised and like it a lot more than they think they would." The service duration is also being extended—from four months to 11. This includes five months of basic training followed by six months of operational service, plus additional educational components. The draft reform is just one part of Denmark's broader military buildup. In February, the government unveiled a $7 billion Acceleration Fund aimed at raising defense spending above 3 percent of GDP—well above NATO's 2 percent benchmark. The fund is helping finance various initiatives, including the conscription expansion. "We see a sharpened security situation in Europe," said Rikke Haugegaard, a researcher at the Royal Danish Defense College. "We have the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. We have focus on the Baltic countries, where Denmark is contributing a lot of soldiers. So, I think it's a general effort to strengthen the Danish defense." Haugegaard also acknowledged logistical and cultural hurdles. "For the next year or two, we will be building a lot of new buildings to accommodate all these people. So, it will be a gradual process," she said, noting concerns such as ill-fitting equipment and the risk of sexual harassment. Denmark follows in the footsteps of its Nordic neighbors. Sweden reintroduced a gender-neutral draft in 2017 citing worsening security conditions, while Norway became the first NATO country to implement gender-equal conscription in 2013. This article includes reporting by The Associated Press. Related Articles Denmark Raises Retirement Age to 70 - Could The US Do The Same?Mette Frederiksen: Denmark's PM on Trump, Russia and Greenland's FutureHow One Country's Left Halted the Far Right with Tough Immigration StanceTrump's Greenland Bid Poses Global Dangers, Says the Woman Facing Him Down 2025 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.
Mint
2 days ago
- Politics
- Mint
Women can be drafted into the Danish military as Russian aggression and military investment grows
HOVELTE, Denmark — Peering across a dense stretch of woodland outside of Denmark's capital with camouflage paint smeared across her face, 20-year-old Katrine scans the horizon for approaching threats. After nearly four months of military training, the young soldier and the rest of her unit spent early June completing their final exercises near the Danish army's barracks in Hovelte, 25 kilometers north of Copenhagen. Katrine and other female soldiers, all of whom spoke to The Associated Press on June 11 on the condition that only their first names be used because of operational security, volunteered for military service earlier this year. Until now, that was the only way for women to be part of the armed forces. The Scandinavian country is seeking to increase the number of young people in the military by extending compulsory enlistment to women for the first time. Men and women can both still volunteer, and the remaining places will be filled by a gender-neutral draft lottery. 'In the situation the world is in now, it's needed,' Katrine said. 'I think it's only fair and right that women participate equally with men.' Under new rules passed by Denmark's parliament earlier in June, Danish women who turn 18 after Tuesday will be entered into the lottery system, on equal footing with their male compatriots. The change comes against a backdrop of Russian aggression and growing military investment across NATO countries. Even from the relative safety of Denmark, Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine casts its shadow. Lessons from the Ukrainian battlefields have even filtered down into their training. 'That makes it very real,' Katrine said. Denmark's gender-parity reforms were originally outlined in 2024 as part of a major defense agreement. The program was originally expected to be implemented by early 2027, but has been brought forward to summer 2025. Col. Kenneth Strøm, head of the conscription program, told the move is based on 'the current security situation.' 'They could take part in NATO collective deterrence,' Strøm added. 'Raising the number of conscripts, that would simply lead to more combat power.' Denmark, a nation of 6 million people, has about 9,000 professional troops. The new arrangement is expected to bring up to 6,500 annual conscripts by 2033, up from 4,700 last year. Under Danish law, all physically fit men over age 18 are called up for military service. But because there are usually enough volunteers, there's a lottery system so not all young men serve. Women, by contrast, could only volunteer previously, making up roughly a quarter of 2024's cohort. 'Some will probably be very disappointed being chosen to go into the military,' Anne Sofie, part of Katrine's cohort of volunteers, said of the new female conscripts. 'Some will probably be surprised and like it a lot more than they think they would.' The duration of service is also being extended from four to 11 months. Conscripts will first spend five months in basic training, followed by six months of operational service, plus additional lessons. The move is part of a broader military buildup by the Nordic nation. In February, Denmark's government announced plans to bolster its military by setting up a $7 billion fund that it said would raise the country's defense spending to more than 3% of gross domestic product this year. Parts of the conscript program are being financed by the so-called Acceleration Fund. 'We see a sharpened security situation in Europe. We have the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. We have focus on the Baltic countries, where Denmark is contributing a lot of soldiers. So, I think it's a general effort to strengthen the Danish defense,' said researcher Rikke Haugegaard from the Royal Danish Defense College. But Haugegaard notes there are many challenges, from ill-fitting equipment and a lack of additional barracks, to potential cases of sexual harassment. 'For the next year or two, we will be building a lot of new buildings to accommodate all these people. So, it will be a gradual process,' she added. In 2017, neighboring Sweden instituted a military draft for both men and women after its government spoke of a deteriorating security environment in Europe. Norway introduced its own law applying military conscription to both sexes in 2013.
