As the Norwegian Government has stated, Norway is facing its most serious security situation since the Second World War. This deterioration is part of a broader global trend that also carries significant negative consequences for women’s security and agency in conflict areas around the world. These developments require well‑coordinated integration of gender equality into total defence planning, as well as a clear assessment of how Norway can continue to effectively promote women’s rights across all international engagements. To be credible and effective, local, national and international efforts must reinforce one another.
On 28 February, PRIO’s Research Director Louise Olsson joined State Secretary Andreas Kravik, the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Anders Sætra from PLAN Norway to discuss what meeting these challenges can mean in practice.
Olsson highlighted the need to prioritize and concretize gender equality and Women, Peace and Security in total defence development, emphasizing three key areas:
- Influence and participation in civilian and military decision‑making, grounded in equal access to information.
- Resource distribution and work opportunities, including personal preparedness and the risk of discrimination.
- Security and civil protection, including the capacity to address conflict‑related sexual violence and the allocation of healthcare resources.
The conclusion underlines that Norway needs to actively ensure that it builds a total defence that effectively involves and understands the entire population.
The panel was chaired by Maria Qureshi, leader of the Oslo Labour Party Women's Network as part of their yearly meeting.
