On 7 March 2025, Seoul hosted a conference, “Towards More Resilient and Secure Democracies: Women in Security and Defense”, at which Latvia was represented by Sigita Struberga, Secretary General of the Latvian Transatlantic Organisation and the founder of the “Women for Security” movement in Latvia.
The event was organised by the Delegation of the European Union (EU) to the Republic of Korea with the aim of raising awareness of and creating a platform on discussions about the importance of women’s participation in security and defence, for instance, in national armed forces and home guard.
Sigita Struberga, being one of the panellists, shared Latvia’s experience of the professional representation of women and their engagement in security-building. She also urged for exploring practical solutions to promote equal opportunities for men and women, including access to relevant resources and knowledge. Sigita Struberga named a good example – leadership and mentorship programmes implemented by the “Women for Security” association to provide support for young women professionals in improving their skills and knowledge in the field of security, building confidence and effective communication with experienced professionals.
Latvia’s representation at this event was realised as part of the public diplomacy programme in support of the lobby campaign of Latvia’s candidacy for the United Nations Security Council. The campaign under the motto of “Together for peace and resilience” aims at ensuring successful election of Latvia to the United Nations Security Council for the 2026–2027 term in the 2025 election, at which Latvia is running for an elected member’s seat for the first time. Membership of the UNSC will be a key instrument in pursuit and protection of Latvia’s foreign policy interests, and make it possible for Latvia to expand the its international cooperation thereby contributing to world peace and resilience.
