In preparation for the Oslo Symposium on Women's Rights and Empowerment in Afghanistan, which takes place on Sunday 23 November, PRIO has prepared two new background Papers. PRIO Director Kristian Berg Harpviken and Lida Nadery has co-authored a paper on Education and Empowerment. Timor Sharan and Torunn Wimpelmann has jointly written a paper on Women’s Rights and Political Representation. Both papers look at the achievements in the post-Taliban era, examine challenges in the current transition, and define key questions for discussion at the Oslo symposium.
The Oslo Symposium is co-hosted by the foreign ministries of Norway, Afghanistan and the Unites States, in collaboration with PRIO, the Afghan Women’s Network and Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security. The opening session features keynotes by Afghanistan’s new First Lady, Rula Ghani, and the Prime Minister of Norway, Erna Solberg, and is followed by working sessions for all invited participants in the form of panel discussions on selected sub-topics covering human rights, justice and political participation, as well as education and economic participation. The Oslo Symposium will take place in advance of the London Conference on Afghanistan, on 3-4 December. The findings of the symposium will provide valuable input in preparation for the discussions in London.
