Formation 27 January 2014 Location Oslo, Norway President Gunhild Vehusheia | Type Political advocacy Membership 10 NGOs Website kvinnelobby.no | |
The Norwegian Women's Lobby (Norwegian: Norges kvinnelobby) is a politically independent human rights political advocacy organisation, and is the umbrella organisation for the Norwegian women's rights and women's organisations. It works to integrate women's perspectives into all political, economical and social processes, nationally and internationally, and to eliminate all forms of discrimination against women and girls.
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History and organisation
The Norwegian Women's Lobby was founded on 27 January 2014 by eight nationwide women's rights organisations. The establishment followed several years of prior discussion in the Norwegian women's movement, where Torild Skard, the former Chairman of UNICEF, had been the key proponent for the establishment. The organisation currently has ten member organisations. Its establishment was in accordance with the recommendations of the government-appointed Gender Equality Commission (chaired by Hege Skjeie) of 2010. It is modelled after similar organisations in other countries, particularly the Swedish Women's Lobby and the European Women's Lobby at the EU level. The first President was Margunn Bjørnholt and the first Vice President was Fakhra Salimi. In 2016 Gunhild Vehusheia was elected President of the organisation.
The organisation aims to promote women's human rights, based on the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, the Beijing Platform for Action and other fundamental international agreements. Its member organisations include all the significant women's rights organisations of Norway and have been championing women's human rights since 1884; the founding organisations were described by the Equality and Anti-Discrimination Ombud Sunniva Ørstavik as "the very foundation of the efforts to promote women's rights in Norway." As a civil society umbrella organisation, the Norwegian Women's Lobby only accepts nonpartisan organisations as members.
The Norwegian Women's Lobby prepares shadow reports to the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women on Norway's implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women; the work is led by Supreme Court Justice Karin Bruzelius, a member of the Norwegian Women's Lobby's expert committee.
Member organisations
Presidents
Expert Committee on Women's and Gender Equality Policies
The Expert Committee on Women's and Gender Equality Policies is a permanent body of experts and works under the sponsorship of the Norwegian Women's Lobby. The expert committee is chaired by Cathrine Holst. The additional members of the committee are supreme court justice Karin Bruzelius, professor of gender studies Beatrice Halsaa, professor of public law Anne Hellum, research professor in economic history Eirinn Larsen and professor of political science Hege Skjeie, the former chair of the government-appointed Gender Equality Commission.