Global overview: Where military service is mandatory for women
As Denmark updates its conscription policy to include women, it joins a growing group of countries worldwide with similar requirements. Kazinform News Agency correspondent provides a regional and global overview of military service for women.
Danish women will now be eligible for military conscription under a new law passed by the country’s parliament earlier this year. Starting from January 2026, women turning 18 after July 1, 2025, may be selected through a national lottery for up to 11 months of military service. Until now, military service for women in Denmark was voluntary.
Denmark is not the first European nation to apply military conscription to women. Norway introduced universal conscription in 2015, while Sweden reintroduced it in 2018 after an earlier suspension. In both countries, conscription applies to individuals aged 18 and over, regardless of gender. The Netherlands also includes women in its conscription framework, although the requirement for service has been suspended since 1997.
Outside Europe, several nations have maintained or introduced compulsory military service for women. In Israel, women have been subject to conscription since 1949, typically serving for two years. In Africa, countries such as Eritrea, Chad, Mali, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, Cape Verde, Niger, and the Ivory Coast also include women in mandatory service. Another example is North Korea, where military service has been mandatory for women since 2015, with minimum service ages beginning at 17 and durations depending on education level.
In most parts of the world, military service for women remains voluntary. Women in the United States have been eligible for combat roles since 1993 and now make up approximately 14% of military personnel. Other countries that offer voluntary military careers for women include the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Japan, Canada, Australia, South Korea, Spain, and a number of others in Europe, Asia, and Latin America.
