Norway Adopts Gender-Neutral Military Draft

First NATO member to do so

OSLO, Norway, June 16 (UPI) -- Norway's Parliament voted overwhelmingly to install a policy of gender-neutral armed forces conscription, Norway's defense minister announced.

The new measure was adopted in Oslo Friday, making Norway the only European country with a policy of gender-neutral conscription, said Anne-Grete Stroem Erichsen, the defense minister.

She said male-only conscription is outdated, all citizens should have the same rights and obligations, regardless of sex, and tapping into the female population would increase diversity and help in efforts to recruit the best soldiers.