December 7, 1972, was the last time the U.S. military held a draft calling men to serve their country. Since then, volunteers, regardless of gender, continued to defend the United States; however, the draft technically never went away. Congress and/or the President can still authorize a draft by the Selective Service System (SSS) if need be. Over the decades, the idea of including women for a military draft continues to pop up and current changes to include female warfighters in combat are continuing to question whether or not only men should be selected. Suggested read: Your Guide to VA Burial Benefits in 2024 (Updated)

Can a Woman Get Drafted Into the Military?

As of this writing, having women in a military draft would require a change in the current laws used by the government to determine eligibility as determined by the Selective Service Act. A notable change did occur after Defense Secretary Ash Carter announced on December 3, 2015, restrictions based on gender for military service, would be lifted. The decision came around three years after women were integrated into direct combat roles with men. Despite these changes, there were no changes to Selective Service involving women drafted into the military. Related read: Report Advises Putting Women Into Marine Platoons in Recruit Training

Transgender Military Draft Guidelines

Gender continues to be a complicated subject to navigate; however, when it comes to the SSS draft, there are clear guidelines in place. Selective Service mandates registration based on gender assigned at birth, regardless of gender identity or reassignment. Those born male and transitioning to female must register, while those born female and transitioning to male are exempt. This requirement stems from the Military Selective Service Act (MSSA), which lacks provisions on gender identity. Presidential Proclamation 4771 references "males" born on or after January 1, 1960, reinforcing the focus on birth gender. Until Congress revises the MSSA or enacts legislation on transgender individuals, Selective Service still views registering individuals based on birth gender. In the event of a draft, those born male but transitioning to female can seek exemption upon receiving induction orders.

Women Being Drafted in the Military Around the World

There are fewer than 30 countries actively operating with a military draft and less than a third of all nations show any program for conscription. However, things are changing around the world. Not only are more inclusive measures growing for female warfighters but geopolitical elements are calling for adjustments. For example, Denmark is looking at increasing its ranks by allowing a female military draft due to tensions in Europe. Similarly, Norway changed its laws over a decade ago to make military conscription apply to everyone, regardless of their sex. These examples are not representative of everyone, and yet, they do showcase modern examples of women's military draft legislation changing over time. Some nations are facing security concerns while having issues filling their ranks with anyone let alone an all-male volunteer force. Furthermore, women in combat have more opportunities and expansive roles. These changes, particularly stateside, are reigniting questions about whether or not conscription should be exclusive to men alone. Conscription has been around for quite some time to help nations who are in need of military personnel defend their interests. Typically, of an immediate nature. It’s no surprise that many of the nations requiring men, women, or both to be drafted for service are dealing with some of the biggest modern conflicts in Europe, Asia, and the Middle East as of this writing. As the U.S. continues to mull the idea of women in a military draft, we’re also finding ourselves dealing with new issues like many of our allies. Old threats may not be as prominent, such as ISIS, but they still flare up and require attention. Unsettling changes in Africa are only part of America’s current landscape, which continues to deal with multiple hotspots in Asia, Europe, and the Middle East.

Female Draft Registration 2024 and Growing Roles for Women in Combat

Initially, pushes by committees to include female draft registration in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) in 2022 were on the table. However, these efforts were scraped by the time the final law was signed. There is no mandatory female draft registration in 2024 but another notable milestone is taking place for women serving as warfighters. The U.S. Marines are integrating with mixed-gendered boot camps in a major step to push the last branch in accordance with the legislation of the 2020 NDAA to have training at all levels mix both genders. With these changes, proponents of those seeking equal rights for women believe possible draft selection should be mandatory. Some also believe non-combat roles could be a way to draft females for war while reserving men conscripted for combat roles. Evolving combat roles and integrated training norms continue to push branches in a better direction, though we still have a long way to go. Whether or not these changes nor the evolving needs of America’s national defense will push women to military draft eligibility remains to be seen. It’s clear a pathway could develop if absolutely necessary for our country. Read next: Can You Sue the Military?Sources:

1. Women and the Draft, SSS. Accessed March 2024. https://www.sss.gov/register/women/background/
2. Frequently Asked Questions, SSS. Accessed March 2024. https://www.sss.gov/faq/#who-needs-to-register
3. Fewer than a third of countries currently have a military draft; most exclude women, Pew Research Center. Accessed March 2024. https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2019/04/23/fewer-than-a-third-of-countries-currently-have-a-military-draft-most-exclude-women/
4. Denmark plans to expand military draft to women for the first time and extend service terms, AP. Accessed March 2024. https://apnews.com/article/denmark-conscription-men-women-defense-military-service-182028ad1d0dafa0dd17f5ca0eaebff1
5. 5 Biggest Countries With Mandatory Military Service, Insider Monkey. Accessed March 2024. https://www.insidermonkey.com/blog/5-biggest-countries-with-mandatory-military-service-1209063/
6. National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022, Congress. Accessed March 2024. https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/senate-bill/1605
7. National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020, Congress. Accessed March 2024. https://www.congress.gov/116/plaws/publ92/PLAW-116publ92.pdf