Thank you, madame Chair,
Norway welcomes the Women, Peace, and Security agenda as a topic for this joint FSC and PC meeting. We also thank the panelists for their insightful presentations.
Madame Chair,
Norway truly believes that women are willing, able, and entitled to full, equal, and meaningful participation in all situations where matters of security are decided.
In 2015, Norway introduced conscription for all. Last year, women comprised one third of all conscripts and 20% of all employees in the Armed Forces. While we still have a way to go with regards to gender discrimination and sexual harassment in our military, in 2022, 85% of female conscripts responded that they had a generally positive experience serving their country.
Madame Chair,
In the third year of Russia´s illegal, unprovoked, and unjustified war of aggression against Ukraine, credible reports suggest that sexual violence has been used systematically by the Russian Federation in order to instill fear in the civilian population.
We condemn these actions which represent only some of the gendered impacts war has on a population.
Madame Chair, distinguished panelists,
I avail myself of the opportunity to ask two questions for our distinguished panelists.
First, how can we better engage men in the work on the Women, Peace, and Security Agenda in particular, and in gender equality in the security sector more generally?
Second, how can we prevent gender discrimination and sexual harassment which impede women´s full participation in the security sector?
I look forward to your valuable responses.
Thank you, madame Chair.