Norwegian Association for Women's Rights

Norwegian Association for Women's Rights
Formation	1884
Type	NGO
President	Torild Skard
Affiliations	International Alliance of Women
Website	kvinnesak.no

The Norwegian Association for Women's Rights (Norwegian: Norsk Kvinnesaksforening, NKF) is a Norwegian organization advocating women's liberation and equality between the sexes, and is Norway's oldest feminist organization.

The organization was founded in 1884 by teacher Gina Krog and editor and liberal Member of Parliament Hagbart Berner. Fredrikke Marie Qvam and Randi Blehr, both wives of Norwegian Prime Ministers, also played a major role in the initial phase of the movement. Ragna Nielsen was chairman for some time (1886-1888 and 1889-1895), until the so-called morality debate (Norwegian: Sedelighetsdebatten) caused a split in the movement and Anna Bugge became the new leader. Historically, the organization was strongly associated with the Liberal Party; 22 liberal members of parliament signed a declaration of support for the organization on the occasion of its establishment.

The Association also initiated the founding of The Norwegian Women's Public Health Association (Norwegian: Norske Kvinners Sanitetsforening) to deal with humanitarian issues.

Among the important causes that the NAWR has fought for are women's suffrage (achieved in 1913), the right to work (in the 1930s), abolishment of the common taxing for spouses (the 1950s), right to equal schooling (the 1960s), the establishment of the Council for Equality between the Sexes (Norwegian: Likestillingsrådet) 1972, later replaced by the Centre for Equality between the Sexes - 1977, later by The Equality and Anti-Discrimination Ombud - 2006).

The NAWR has co-operated with the National Association for Women's suffrage (Norwegian: Landskvinnestemmerettsforeningen) and later with the Norwegian National Women's Council. Prominent figures within the association were Aasta Hansteen, Randi Blehr, Margarete Bonnevie (chair 1936-1946) and Eva Kolstad (chair 1956-1968), who later became a cabinet minister and the world's first Gender Equality Ombud. The current leader is Torild Skard, a former Member of Parliament and Director for Women's Affairs of UNESCO.

The Norwegian Association for Women's Rights has been affiliated with the International Alliance of Women since 1904.

Presidents

• Hagbart Berner 1884-1885
• Ragna Nielsen 1886-1888
• Anna Bugge 1888-1889
• Ragna Nielsen 1889-1895
• Randi Blehr 1895-1899
• Fredrikke Marie Qvam 1899-1903
• Randi Blehr 1903-1922
• Valborg Tveter 1922-1923
• Aadel Lampe 1923-1926
• Fredrikke Mørck fra 1926
• Anna Hvoslef ?-1935
• Kitty Bugge 1935-1936
• Margarete Bonnevie 1936-1946
• Dakky Kiær 1946-1952
• Ingerid Gjøstein Resi 1952-1956
• Eva Kolstad 1956-1968
• Clara Ottesen 1968-1972
• Kari Skjønsberg 1972-1978
• Karin M. Bruzelius 1978-1984
• Sigrun Hoel 1984-1988
• Irene Bauer 1988-1990
• Siri Hangeland 1990-1992
• Bjørg Krane Bostad 1992-1994
• Kjellaug Pettersen 1994-1998
• Siri Hangeland 1998-2004
• Berit Kvæven 2004-2006
• Torild Skard 2006-

Further reading

• Aslaug Moksnes. 1984. Norsk Kvinnesaksforenings historie 1884 – 1913: Likestilling eller særstilling? (in Norwegian)

External links

• Homepage