About The Norwegian Women’s Lobby

The NWL works on the basis of the CEDAW Convention, the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, the Istanbul Convention and other human rights instruments and policy frameworks concerning women’s human rights and gender equality.

The NWL was founded in 2014 on the initiative of the Norwegian Association for Women’s Rights (NKF), Norway’s oldest and preeminent women’s rights NGO, founded in 1884. It brings together feminist and women’s rights NGOs and leading experts on women’s human rights in Norway that share its overarching purpose, with the aim to strengthen, coordinate and consolidate the collaboration of these organizations in order to have a greater impact than what each organization can have on its own.

Our work is therefore done with a two-pronged approach: 1) strengthen the ability of our member organizations to carry out their respective mandates, and 2) strengthen the joint impact of the organizations’ various strengths and areas of expertise through the NWL’s advocacy and lobbying efforts.

Among the core issues of concern for the NWL are violence against girls and women, sexual and reproductive health and rights, economic gender justice, and the women, peace and security agenda.

The Equality and Anti-Discrimination Ombud has described our member organizations as “the very foundation of the efforts to advance women’s rights in Norway.” (Sunniva Orstavik, 2014)

The NWL monitors the implementation of the CEDAW Convention in Norway and works to promote the convention’s visibility and relevance in society.

From 2014, the NWL set out to increase awareness and understanding of the CEDAW, enhance the participation and influence of women’s organizations in political decision-making processes and address gaps or areas where gender equality efforts were lacking, such as the incorporation of a gender perspective in public budgets (gender budgeting).

The NWL is led by an Executive Board, composed of elected representatives of the member organizations.

Our work

The actions taken to fulfil our purpose and achieve our aims can broadly be divided in three categories: Public actions, actions aimed at government bodies, politicians and other decision makers, and actions aimed at strengthening the member organizations. These categories of actions are sometimes separate from, and most often intertwined with, one another.

Examples/types of actions led by the NWL:

Leading and coordinating the preparation of “shadow reports” on Norway’s implementation of the CEDAW to the CEDAW Committee. The NWL did so in 2014, 2017 and 2021. The shadow reports serve several purposes: They gather knowledge of the current status of women in Norway and its progress and challenges, they mobilize civil society, are used for public advocacy and serve as a critique of, and supplement to, the government’s own periodic reporting to the CEDAW Committee.
Organizing public events on specific topics of importance to women, for example prevention of violence against women and girls, abortion legislation or women’s health. When doing this, the NWL always highlights its member organizations and makes use of leading voices from these organizations as speakers, facilitators and so on.
Authoring op-eds and knowledge pieces, often in collaboration with member organizations specifically engaged in the topic.
Engaging in public debates.
Actively using social media to engage with the public and promote policies, calls to action, knowledge and information.
Providing written and oral input to government and parliamentary hearings on White Papers and proposed new legislation in areas relevant to the NWL and its members. Often combined with op-eds, and always shared through social media. This work is often characterized by cross-fertilization of ideas and substantive input among the NWL and its member organizations. For the smaller member organizations this is particularly important, as they often lack the resources to do extensive research on their own.
Lobbying ministries and parliamentarians through meetings, hearings, letters, public actions. The lobbying is partly for the causes of the NWL and partly for strengthening the funding and positioning of the member organizations. Women’s rights organizations in Norway are in general run on a 100% voluntary basis due to lack of funding. On average, the women’s rights organizations receive less than 25 % of the government support granted per member to the other organizations whose mandates fall under the Equality and Anti-Discrimination Act. As a result of broad-based advocacy and lobbying by the NWL, the Government last year included a statement in the budget chapter for equality that the “grant schemes in the field of equality must be reviewed with the aim of establishing more effective schemes”.
Being actively engaged in national NGO networks and coordination bodies.
Participating in relevant international fora to advance the gender equality agenda – e.g. the CEDAW Committee reviews of Norway, the CSW, meetings of the European Women’s Lobby (EWL), the Universal Periodic Review of Norway at the Human Rights Council, gatherings/conferences of women’s rights organizations.
Keeping and publicizing a running calendar of important dates and events, both local and national.
Providing policy updates, capacity and skills-building for the member organizations through workshops, webinars, meetings etc.
Organizing regular meetings with the leaders of the member organizations.
Last, but not least, the NWL is a standing member of The Norwegian Directorate for Children, Youth and Family Affairs’ Equality Council and of the professional council of the Equality and Discrimination Ombud.

Organization

The Annual Meeting is the highest level of decision-making within the Norwegian Women's Lobby. The Board constitutes the leading role of the organization and makes all decisions between the annual meetings.

Ordinarily, the Annual Meeting is to be held by the end of April and notice must be given at least one month before the meeting. The Annual Meeting shall consider the matters listed below.

1. Approval of the Board's annual report

2. Approval of the Board's account and the auditor's notes

3. Consideration of submitted proposals

4. Determination of the membership fee

5. Deciding on main goals, strategies and changes to the bylaws

6. Passing a work plan and budget

7. Election of: President, Vice President, Board members and deputy board members, cashier, auditor

8. Election of: Election Committee consisting of two or three members

Each member organization elects one representative with the right to vote at the Annual Meeting (delegate), and one representative with observer status.

The Annual Meeting is capable of resolution when at least half of the member organizations are present. An extraordinary annual meeting can be held if 2/3 of the board or half of the member organisations submit a written demand. Notice shall be given one month in advance.

The Board is elected by the Annual Meeting and consists of three to seven representatives from the member organisations. In addition, the Board may have at most three deputy board members. The deputy board members have the right to attend and the right to speak/ bring up suggestions, but only have the right to vote when a regular Board member is absent.

The Board must hold at least four meetings a year, and is capable of resolution when at least half of the board members are present. In the event of a tie, the decision falls to the President who has the casting vote.

In two of the four board meetings, the daily managers of the member organisations shall be invited with the right to attend and the right to speech.