Brende on women’s conference in Afghanistan

Minister of Foreign Affairs Børge Brende ( Conservative Party )Oslo.Minister of Foreign Affairs Børge Brende ( Conservative Party ) Photo: Cornelius Poppe / NTB scanpix

Foreign Minister Børge Brende was Saturday the keynote speaker on a women’s conference organized by Afghan authorities in Kabul.

Afghanistan is considered one of the most dangerous countries for women. The country has among other things, the highest infant mortality rate in the world and violence against women is often not punished. Brende says it is “remarkable” that a women’s conference has even been arranged, in Kabul.

– More action is needed to ensure women’s rights in Afghanistan. We must build on the positive progress, says Brende.
He points to the fact that the number of girls enrolled in primary schools has gone from virtually zero in 2001 to about 3.3 million today.

Brende’s participation in the conference Kabul Symposium on Women Empowerment, has been kept secret until Saturday morning for security reasons, the newspaper VG says.
The conference is a collaboration among Afghanistan, Norway, and the United States.

 

Source: NTB scanpix / Norway Today