In 2013 Norway is celebrating the Centenary of Women’s Suffrage. The anniversary has been celebrated throughout the year with a series of events nationwide. The final event is a large international conference in Oslo, focusing on the importance of women’s political rights in relation to matters of international peace, security and sustainable development.
The conference, having started today, aims to look back in time as well as ahead to the future on how to involve new generations of women.
Conference SpeakersThe conference was opened by Gro Harlem Brundtland, former prime minister of Norway and now member of the UN appointed Panel of Elders, and Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, Executive Director of UN Women.
Other confirmed speakers are Helen Clark, Administrator of UNDP,Shirin Ebadi, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, Louise Arbour, President of International Crisis Group, Bineta Diop, Executive Director of Femmes Africa Solidarité (FAS) and Sanam Anderlini,co-founder of the International Civil Society Action Network (ICAN).
The conference is planned and organized by the Forum for Women and Development (FOKUS) and the Peace Research Institute, Oslo (PRIO) in close co-operation with the National Suffrage Centenary Committee 1913-2013. The conference is funded by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Norwegian Ministry of Children, Equality and Social Inclusion.
