To recognise International Women’s Day 2022, the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, in partnership with the Embassies of Croatia, Netherlands and Norway hosted a webinar on ‘Women, Peace and Security: Reflections on Afghanistan’.
The webinar explored how Australia, NATO, the UN and like-minded partners can assist women and girls in Afghanistan and uphold the tenets of the WPS agenda, what lessons have been learnt from past engagement with Afghanistan, and how can this guide engagement with the country going forward?
Featuring welcome remarks from:
His Excellency Mr Paul Gulleik Larsen, Ambassador of the Royal Norwegian Embassy;
Her Excellency Mrs Marion Derckx, Ambassador of the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands;
Her Excellency Ms Betty Pavelich, Ambassador of the Embassy of the Republic of Croatia; and
Ms Gai Brodtmann, ASPI Council Member.
Keynote presentations from Senator the Hon Marise Payne, Australia’s Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Women, and Minister Anniken Huitfeldt, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Norway.
Panellists included:
Her Excellency Mrs Caecilia Wijgers, Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Afghanistan;
Her Excellency Mari Skåre, Norway’s Ambassador to Dublin, former Norwegian Ambassador to Afghanistan and NATO Special Representative on WPS;
Brigadier General Gordana Garašić, Croatian Army Officer and former ISAF Gender Advisor;
Ms Christine Clarke CSC, Ambassador for Women and Girls; and
Dr Farkhondeh Akbari, Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Monash Gender, Peace and Security.
