[Oslo, 01 April 2025]

Norwegian-based NGO, Forum for Women and Development (FOKUS) organised a roundtable discussion on how Norwegian companies involved in Ukraine can identify, prevent and mitigate risks to Ukrainian women’s rights, based on best practices related to heightened human rights due diligence in warzones and conflict-affected situations. The event was centred around the launch of a new report about Norwegian private sector investments in Ukraine and how to manage risks to women.

The ongoing war in Ukraine and the damage to the key infrastructure has created an urgent need for foreign investments in a way that promotes sustainable and just recovery. However, by investing and operating in conflict zones, international businesses, including those from Norway, carry significant potential to influence the trajectory of human rights, including women’s rights.

Representatives from government, private sector and civil society were invited to share perspectives on how the private sector contribute to the recovery and reconstruction in conflict-affected areas without contributing to the risks of women’s human rights. TrustWorks CEO and Founder, Josie Lianna Kaye, was invited to speak at the event and to share some insights TrustWorks’ approach to supporting companies with operations or supply chains in fragile and conflict-affected settings (FCS).