Conference on the Role of Women in Global Security

About the conference

Role of Women in Global Security

The U.S. Embassy in Denmark and the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs will co-host a two-day conference at Eigtveds Pakhus in Copenhagen to highlight the importance of women in peace and security.  Conference partners include the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) and the U.S. Embassies in the Nordic and Baltic countries.  The conference will focus on experiences in Afghanistan, Liberia and Uganda where women have significant opportunities to effect change in active conflict and post-conflict zones.  The conference will focus on three themes:

• Women in Active Conflict/Peacekeeping Operations

• Women in Post-Conflict Reconciliation and Reintegration
• Women in Economic Development

The two-day conference will open and close with keynote speakers in plenary sessions and will include break-out workshops focusing on the above themes.  It will be conducted on October 29th and 30th, 2010. Participants will be invited from Afghanistan, Liberia, Uganda, the U. S., Nordic, Baltic and other countries.  They may participate online and interested members of the public can view certain parts of the conference online as well.

The conference will feature minister-level keynote speakers from participating countries and will offer workshops where conference participants report on successes achieved in the field and develop  recommendations for incorporating those practices more broadly. The results of the workshops will be compiled in a post-conference report. The conference will provide the opportunity for establishing new networks to advance the utilization of women as active agents in shaping global security policy.

The Three Themes

1. Women in Active Conflict/Peacekeeping Operations:  What opportunities and challenges do female soldiers offer in armed conflict and stabilization/development efforts?  What successes and challenges have been achieved with women soldiers in Afghanistan?  What effect does the presence of women soldiers have on the men in the local communities?  What is required to achieve a higher participation of women in peacekeeping operations?  What are the success stories from women as peacekeeping forces in Liberia?  Do women as police or security officers offer similarly unique opportunities and challenges?  What are the successful strategies for empowering women living in, or emerging from conflict zones to claim their rights as active citizens?
2. Women in Post-Conflict Reconciliation and Reintegration:  Can peace negotiations and conflict resolution mechanisms be successful if women are not active participants?  What strategies for involving women in peace negotiations, post-conflict reconstruction and re-integration have proven to be effective?  What perspectives do women bring to the table as potential policymakers and actors in establishing post-conflict societal and government structures, including rule of law? What programs for ensuring women’s empowerment in post-conflict societies as a basis for sustainable peace efforts have been proven? Does the involvement of women in disarmament, demobilization and reintegration assist in similarly involving the men?
3. Women in Economic Development:  How is the inclusion and participation of women in reconstruction programs ensured?  What are best practices for designing economic development programs for women to support reconstruction?  What are optimal strategies for fostering collaboration among women to advance their broader economic development, create new economic opportunities for other women, and encourage sustainable economic growth in conflict-ridden or developing regions? From micro-financing successes, what lessons can we apply to assist women in becoming part of the commercial fabric of their countries?  How does economic assistance to women entrepreneurs support post-conflict reconstruction?