Denmark will begin to conscript women to its armed services, an extension of the lottery conscription system already in place for men, according to media reports.

A CNN report indicated that the Nordic country is seeking to strengthen its defences amid heightened security concerns across Europe.

Conscription is the practice of drafting citizens for non-voluntary military service.

The report indicated that a law passed by Denmark’s parliament in June 2023 came into effect, requiring women turning 18 after July 1, 2025 to register for assessment days for potential military conscription.

Previously, women in Denmark had been allowed to join the military voluntarily.

Katrine, a recruit in the Danish Royal Life Guard, told Reuters: “In the world situation we’re in right now, it’s necessary to have more conscripts, and I think that women should contribute to that equally, as men do.”

Denmark is not the only country to conscript women, with several countries across Africa, Europe and Asia also practising.

The report indicated that in Denmark, volunteers are signed up first for conscription, while the remaining numbers are drawn up in a lottery system.

Adjustments are now being made to make barracks and equipment better suited for women.

Denmark plans to gradually increase the duration of the conscription period from four months to 11 months in 2026 and raise the number of recruits doing military service from around 5,000 now to 7,500 in 203,  the report indicated.