Prime Minister Erna Solberg : Speech at symposium on Advancing Women’s Rights and Empowerment in Afghanistan - Oslo, 23 November 2014

Welcome to Norway and this symposium on Advancing Women’s Rights and Empowerment in Afghanistan.

It is a particular honour to welcome First Lady Rula Ghani and all Afghan participants from the government, parliament and civil society. I also welcome the students joining us live from Kabul University and the American University in Kabul.

This conference is a concrete expression of our joint commitment to help Afghanistan secure and advance the position of women in the country. Partnership is crucial. I know that we all share the conviction, based on experience, that improving the situation for girls and women is one of the best ways to contribute to the development of Afghanistan.

Afghanistan has achieved considerable and concrete progress since 2001.

This is not to say that the future will be without challenges. The position of women in Afghanistan today is not yet secure, and discrimination is widespread. Many children attend school, but still don’t learn how to read and write. Sadly, even today, less than 20 % of adult women in Afghanistan are literate. Afghanistan has enormous untapped potential in this respect.

In Norway, we have learned from our own history that increasing gender equality and improving the population’s level of education have immediate and lasting effects on the economy. Access to primary and higher education has been – and remains – crucial to development in Norway, as it is in Afghanistan.

Education is both a right a means of securing an income, but it is also an end in itself. Educated women can increase both their household’s income and the country’s income. Educated mothers are more likely to motivate their children to go to school, and assist them in doing so. Literacy improves the health situation of the whole family.  

This is why we are doubling Norway’s support for global education over the next 4 years, with education for girls as a top priority.

In Afghanistan, education – and education for girls in particular – has long been a priority for our cooperation. The focus has been on basic education. However, one special area in which I am proud to say that Norway has made a significant contribution is in the training of midwives. A considerable percentage of all registered midwives in Afghanistan have received their training thanks to Norwegian assistance.

In Afghanistan, education – and education for girls in particular – has long been a priority for our cooperation. The focus has been on basic education. However, one special area in which I am proud to say that Norway has made a significant contribution is in the training of midwives. A considerable percentage of all registered midwives in Afghanistan have received their training thanks to Norwegian assistance.

Ensuring the full and equal participation of women and girls – in families, at the workplace, in government and in politics – is not only the right thing to do, it is also the smart thing to do.  Read More