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Which European countries draft women into the army? And why Germany still doesn't

Germany is planning to bring back a form of military service — but only men are required to sign up. Amid misinformation about the measure online, here's why and how unusual Germany's revived military service is.

READ MORE : http://www.euronews.com/2025/11/19/which-european-countries-draft-women-into-the-army-and-why-germany-still-doesnt

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00:00Which European countries conscript women into the army?
00:07Conflicting claims are circulating online that women are purposefully being excluded from the German army
00:13and that women are being forced into the German military amid a national debate about mandatory military service.
00:19The German government is introducing a measure requiring all men to register for potential military service from January 2026,
00:27with compulsory service to be reintroduced if volunteer numbers fall short.
00:31While young men will be obliged to fill out the registration and attend compulsory medical screenings, women can do so on a voluntary basis.
00:40The distinction has sparked a wave of debate and claims across social media,
00:44some of which have blurred the line between criticism and misinformation.
00:48As things stand, the German constitution specifically says men may be required to perform service in the armed forces from the age of 18,
00:56but it doesn't mention women.
00:58Women aren't excluded from joining the army, they're just not legally required to do so.
01:02They're increasingly taking up roles on the front line.
01:05This isn't unique to Germany, although some countries that have introduced conscription have included both men and women.
01:11Norway brought in mandatory military service for women in 2015, making it the first NATO country to do so.
01:18Sweden followed suit in 2017 as part of a broader move to reintroduce conscription after suspending it in 2010.
01:25Most recently, Denmark updated its conscription policy to include women in a lottery-style system that will come into effect in 2026.
01:33All the other European countries that have conscription make it compulsory only for men, with women being able to volunteer.
01:40These include Austria, Cyprus and Greece.
01:43In other European countries, neither women nor men are required to serve in the military, but they can volunteer in varying capacities.
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