Liberal feminism, also called mainstream feminism, is a main branch of feminism defined by its focus on achieving gender equality through political and legal reform within the framework of liberal democracy and informed by a human rights perspective. It is often considered culturally progressive and economically center-right to center-left. As the oldest of the "Big Three" schools of feminist thought, liberal feminism has its roots in 19th century first-wave feminism seeking recognition of women as equal citizens, focusing particularly on women's suffrage and access to education, the effort associated with 19th century liberalism and progressivism. Liberal feminism "works within the structure of mainstream society to integrate women into that structure." Liberal feminism places great emphasis on the public world, especially laws, political institutions, education and working life, and considers the denial of equal legal and political rights as the main obstacle to equality. As such liberal feminists have worked to bring women into the political mainstream. Liberal feminism is inclusive and socially progressive, while broadly supporting existing institutions of power in liberal democratic societies, and is associated with centrism and reformism. Liberal feminism tends to be adopted by white middle-class women who do not disagree with the current social structure; Zhang and Rios found that liberal feminism with its focus on equality is viewed as the dominant and "default" form of feminism. Liberal feminism actively supports men's involvement in feminism and both women and men have always been active participants in the movement; progressive men had an important role alongside women in the struggle for equal political rights since the movement was launched in the 19th century.
An organizational ombudsman is a designated neutral or impartial dispute resolution practitioner whose major function is to provide independent, impartial, confidential and informal assistance to managers and employees, clients and/or other stakeholders of a corporation, university, non-governmental organization, governmental agency or other entity. As an independent and neutral employee, the organizational ombudsman ideally should have no other role or duties. This is in order to maintain independence and neutrality, and to prevent real or perceived conflicts of interest.
Eva Severine Lundegaard Kolstad was a Norwegian politician and government minister for the Liberal Party. A major figure in the history of liberal feminism and the development of state feminism in the Nordic countries, she pioneered gender equality policies in Norway and at the United Nations. She served as president of the Norwegian Association for Women's Rights (1956–1968), member and vice chairman of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (1969–1975), Minister of Government Administration and Consumer Affairs of Norway in Korvald's Cabinet (1972–1973), leader of the Liberal Party (1974–1976) and as Norwegian Gender Equality Ombudsman (1978–1988), the first gender equality ombudsman worldwide.
Bjørn Erik Thon is a Norwegian jurist and ombudsman.
The Government agencies of Norway are state controlled organizations that act independently to carry out the policies of the Government of Norway. The Government Ministries are relatively small and merely policy-making organizations, allowed to control agencies by policy decisions but not by direct orders. A Minister is explicitly prohibited from interfering with the day-to-day operation in an agency or the outcome in individual cases. While no minister is allowed to give orders to agencies personally, they are subject to decisions made by the Government. Also, the Minister is normally the instance of appeals of agencies decisions.
The Royal Norwegian Ministry of Culture and Equality is responsible for cultural policy, regulations and other matters related to the media and sports, and equality and non-discrimination. The ministry was established in 1982, as the Ministry of Cultural and Science. Until then, the Ministry of Church and Education Affairs had had the overriding responsibility for cultural affairs in Norway. It is led by the Minister of Culture and Equality Lubna Jaffery (Labour) since June 2023. The Secretary-General of the ministry is Kristin Berge. The ministry reports to the Storting.
The Norwegian Association for Women's Rights is Norway's oldest and preeminent women's and girls' rights organization and works "to promote gender equality and all women's and girls' human rights through political and legal reform within the framework of liberal democracy." Founded in 1884, NKF is Norway's oldest political organization after the Liberal Party. NKF stands for an inclusive, intersectional and progressive mainstream liberal feminism and has always been open to everyone regardless of gender. Headquartered at Majorstuen, Oslo, NKF consists of a national-level association as well as regional chapters based in the larger cities, and is led by a national executive board. NKF has had a central role in the adoption of all major gender equality legislation and reforms since 1884.
Gunnar Bergby is a Norwegian retired former civil servant. He was secretary-general of the Supreme Court of Norway; this is not a judicial office and not the head of the supreme court, but the head of human resources and support services. He served one term on the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women; his nomination over a more qualified woman and after the Foreign Ministry had ruled out even considering a woman was controversial and was widely condemned by the women's rights movement and the legal community in the Nordic countries as discriminatory towards women in itself, and was described as an example of radical gender quotas which are banned in Norway.
Hanne Bjurstrøm is a Norwegian lawyer and politician representing the Labour Party, who served as Gender Equality and Anti-Discrimination Ombud from 2016 to 2022. She previously served as Minister of Labour and Social Inclusion in Stoltenberg's Second Cabinet from 2009 to 2012. In 2021 she became vice president of the Labour Court of Norway.
An ombudsman, ombud, ombuds, ombudswoman, ombudsperson or public advocate is an official who is usually appointed by the government or by parliament to investigate complaints and attempt to resolve them, usually through recommendations or mediation.
Beate Gangås is a Norwegian police officer and civil servant. She is currently the director of the Norwegian Police Security Service since 2022. She previously served as the Oslo Chief of Police from 2019 to 2022.
In the United States, there is no unified federal ombudsman service. The role of handling complaints against federal authorities has to some extent been unofficially incorporated into the role of the US Member of Congress. This informal job has become increasingly time-consuming. It is subject to criticism on the grounds that it interferes with a legislator's primary duty, namely to read and be knowledgeable about a bill before casting his or her vote.
The Equality Ombudsman is a government agency in Sweden tasked with supervising the laws relating to discrimination on the basis of someone's sex, transgender identity or expression, ethnicity, religion or other belief, disability, sexual orientation or age. It was formed on 1 January 2009 from the four previously separate ombudsmen tasked with different aspects of discrimination.
State feminism is feminism created or approved by the government of a state or nation. It usually specifies a particular program. The term was coined by Helga Hernes with particular reference to the situation in Norway, which had a tradition of government-supported liberal feminism dating back to the 1880s, and is often used when discussing the government-supported gender equality policies of the Nordic countries, that are linked to the Nordic model. The term has also been used in the context of developing countries where the government may prescribe its form of feminism and at the same time prohibit non-governmental organizations from advocating for any other feminist program. In this sense it is possible to distinguish between a liberal state feminism found in Western democracies such as the Nordic countries, and a somewhat more authoritarian state feminism that is often also linked to secularism, found e.g. in certain Middle Eastern countries.
The Centre for Gender Equality was a Norwegian government agency that existed from 1997 to 2006 to promote gender equality. It was a successor to the Council for Gender Equality, that existed from 1973 to 1997. In 2006, its responsibilities were transferred to the new Equality and Anti-Discrimination Ombudsman.
Hege Skjeie was a Norwegian political scientist and feminist.
The Norwegian Women's Lobby is a feminist policy and advocacy organization in Norway and works for "the human rights of girls and women in all their diversity, to eliminate all forms of discrimination against all girls and women and to promote a gender equal society." It is described as the country's "main, national, umbrella organization" for women's rights. NWL is inclusive, understands women's human rights and discrimination in an intersectional perspective and "works to represent the interests of all those who identify as women and girls." NWL is funded by the government over the national budget.
Sigrun Hoel is a Norwegian lawyer, academic, government official and feminist. She served as the 22nd President of the Norwegian Association for Women's Rights (NKF) from 1984 to 1988, succeeding supreme court justice Karin M. Bruzelius. Before she became the national President she was chair of the Oslo chapter from 1980 to 1984 and Vice President of NKF from 1982 to 1984. She was acting Gender Equality Ombud in 1984, 1988 and 1991.
Jon Martin Larsen is a Norwegian journalist, media executive, government official, humanitarian and LGBT rights activist. He has worked as a journalist or editor with Verdens Gang and Dagsavisen, as editor-in-chief and CEO of the newspaper Akershus Amtstidende and as a communications director with the Gender Equality and Anti-Discrimination Ombud, the Norwegian Red Cross and the International Committee of the Red Cross. He lectures in journalism at Kristiania University College, where he researches the use of communication to improve the lives of the LGBT+ community. He has also been active within the National Association for Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals and Transgender People and was a candidate for the presidency of the organization in 2016.
Kvinnesaksnytt was a Norwegian journal on women's rights that included news and analysis of Norwegian and international women's rights issues. It was published by the Norwegian Association for Women's Rights, the country's main women's rights organization, from 1950 to 2016, and was Norway's main women's rights journal for 66 years. It was the successor of the association's earlier journal Nylænde (1887–1927), one of the most influential political magazines in Norway since the 1880s.
