Latvia

NAP 1

2020-2025

Introduction

This is Latvia's first NAP and was created in partnership with Canada for funding and guidance. It was primarily drafted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in conjunction with Ministries of Interior, Education and Science, Welfare and Health. Latvia is currently ranked 18th in the European Gender Equality Index and views gender equality as a 'horizontal principle' that must be integrated into all national services.

General comments

The main aim of the NAP focuses on the "Promotion of gender equality at the national and international level, paying special attention to the promotion of women's participation in leading positions (decision-making) in the Armed Forces, public institutions, politics, as well as the elimination of all forms of gender-based violence." In particular, Latvia's NAP aims to produce a coordinated effort to enforcing peace and security both domestically and internationally whilst promoting gender equality. Latvia expresses the desire to develop deeper relationships with other member-states, particularly within the Nordic region, to assist with Latvia's education and implementation of gender equality issues.

Latvia is already a member of NATO, the UN, EU, OSCE and the OECD and makes regular contributions to UN Women. Latvia's pre-existing work on gender equality includes The Action Plan for the Elimination of Gender-Based Violence from 2018-2019, advocating for gender equality to be part of the Sustainable Development 2030 goals and the application for Latvia as a candidate to the UN Commission on the Status of Women 2021-2025.

The WPS NAP is complimentary to Latvia's Concept for the Implementation of Gender Equality which aims to identify priority issues of gender equality in Latvia and provide a coordinated response nationally.

Key points/objectives

·     Establishing gender training programme for theDefence and Internal Affairs Sector. Including creating a gender advisor and addressing GBV.

·     Raising public awareness of the importance of the WPS agenda and GBV.

·     Promoting coordinated efforts in the teaching and implementation of WPS policies both publicly and within domestic and international organisations.

·     Implementing a series of educational standards on gender equality within schools. Latvia highlights the importance of raising the awareness of WPS issues among young people and proposes a series of conferences with Youth Delegates across Latvia and Europe.

·     The creation of a support network for member states and NGO's to coordinate and share education and policies related to WPS. Latvia highlights explicitly their partnership with the Eastern Partnership andCentral Asian countries to promote UNSCR 1325.

Security Focus

·     15.3% of Latvia's armed forces are women, and 17% of the National Guard are also women, highlighted as above the NATO average of 10%.

·     There are no gender restrictions on ranks in the Latvian military. Ten women currently hold the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the NAF.

·     In 2020 20% of Latvian civilian experts in international missions were women.

·     In 2020 the first women was posted abroad as Latvia's resident military attaché.

·     In 2020 the UN committee on CEDAW recognised Latvia's achievements in identifying and preventing the causes of gender inequality whilst supporting corrective measures.

There are currently no uniformed Latvian women officers serving in UN missions. Furthermore, there is no reference to Peacekeeping in the NAP.

Sources

NAP:https://www.wpsnaps.org/app/uploads/2021/01/Latvia-NAP-2020-2025.pdf

PK stats:https://peacekeeping.un.org/sites/default/files/03-country_and_mission_36_mar2021.pdf

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