The study examines whether public policy in the form of legislation influencewomen’s participation in armed forces. Through a comparative case study ofSweden and Norway, personnel statistics and policy changes from the 21stcentury are analyzed in relation to developments in gender equality andconscription legislation. Based on Iskra et al.’s theory on women’sparticipation in armed forces, the study focuses on the impact of public policyon women’s participation in armed forces. The results show that legislativechanges, particularly the introduction of gender-neutral conscription,coincide with increased female participation. The study highlights howlegislation can serve as an integration tool to promote gender equality in themilitary and recommends further research to deepen the understanding of thisrelationship.