From left to right: Rebecca Blum (Nordic Centre for Gender in Military Operations), General Micael Bydén (Swedish Chief of Defence), Louise Olsson (PRIO Senior Researcher). Louise Olsson
From left to right: Rebecca Blum (Nordic Centre for Gender in Military Operations), General Micael Bydén (Swedish Chief of Defence), Louise Olsson (PRIO Senior Researcher). Louise Olsson

The Swedish Chief of Defence, General Micael Bydén, hosted a conference on Women, Peace and Security in Sweden October 1-3. Presenters included the Swedish Minister for Foreign Affairs, Margot Wallström, and Minister for Defence, Peter Hultqvist. The importance of senior leadership when promoting gender equality in military organizations took centre stage. Participants involved senior leaders, researchers, and experts.

PRIO Senior Researcher Dr. Louise Olsson presented together with Rebecca Blum, Senior Analyst at the Nordic Centre for Gender in Military Operations, on the rationale and content of the UN resolutions on Women, Peace and Security and their meaning for military objectives and responsibilities. As the focus now turns from primarily considering gender in the context of peace operations to considerations for national defence, discussions focused on women’s recruitment and retention, and considerations on differences in risk, including sexual violence, and attitudes to defence among male and female populations.