The Danish Parliament unanimously passed a bill on Wednesday mandating military service for women, changing the current system that only requires men to serve.

According to the new law, women who turn 18 after July 1 of this year will be included in the pool of candidates, but not all women of the same age will be called to serve.

The Danish government expedited this legislation, citing changes in European security conditions due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

If there are not enough volunteers, candidates will be selected through a lottery from those remaining.

Statistics from the Danish military indicate that women currently make up 25% of all volunteers. Additionally, starting in August, the length of service will increase from the current four months to eleven months; this decision was made last year.

Denmark thus becomes the third Nordic country to introduce mandatory military service for women, following Norway and Sweden. Israel is another Western country that practices gender-equal conscription.

In Asia, Myanmar, East Timor, and North Korea all require women to serve, while many African countries also mandate women's military obligations. However, in most countries around the world, military service for women remains voluntary.