Norwegian Labour Party's Women's Federation

Last updated
Meeting of the Labour Party's Women's Federation in 1918 Arbeiderpartiets kvindeforbunds landsmote 1918.jpg
Meeting of the Labour Party's Women's Federation in 1918

The Norwegian Labour Party's Women's Federation (Norwegian : Arbeiderpartiets kvindeforbund) was established in Christiania in 1901 and extended to cover the whole of Norway in 1909. Initially concerned with working conditions and voting rights, its interests were extended over the years. The movement was dissolved in 2005 when the Labour Party adopted equal gender distribution in all its bodies, both national and local. In its place, a looser "women's network" was set up within the party in order to bring women into leadership roles at all levels. [1] [2]

Contents

History

The Women's Federation has been the most important organization in Norway's labour women's movement despite challenges in 1937 from the Labour Housewives Group (Norges Husmorlagsforbund) affiliated with the Communist Party and in 1954 from the Norwegian Women's Federation (Norsk Kvinneforbund) which was active until 1999. Both these organizations represented a minority of political workers. [1]

For many years the organization was concerned mainly with better living conditions for working-class families and increasing the acceptance of housewives in society at large. From the late 1960s, the focus turned to gender equality at work and in politics. As international discussion developed on whether women's organizations should continue in their own right or as part of an integrated party approach, in Norway it was decided to bring the movement closer to party priorities. In 2005, the organization was dissolved and replaced with a women's network with the Labour Party. [1]

Key figures

Important figures in the organization over the years include Gunhild Ziener (1868–1937), Martha Tynæs (1870–1930), Hanna Adolfsen (1872–1926), Thina Thorleifsen (1885–1959), Johanne Reutz Gjermoe (1896–1989), Aase Lionæs (1907–1999), Rakel Seweriin (1906–1995), Aase Bjerkholt (1915–2012) and Sylvia Brustad (born 1966). [2] Karita Bekkemellem (born 1965) became the organization's leader in 1998 and headed the newly formed women's network until 2009. [3]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Labour Party (Norway)</span> Centre-left Norwegian political party

The Labour Party, formerly The Norwegian Labour Party, is a social democratic political party in Norway. It is positioned on the centre-left of the political spectrum, and is led by Jonas Gahr Støre. It is the senior party in a minority governing coalition with the Centre Party since 2021, with Støre serving as the current Prime Minister of Norway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anders Andersen (Norway)</span>

Anders Andersen was a sawmill worker who participated in forming the Norwegian Labour Party.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Karita Bekkemellem</span> Norwegian politician (born 1965)

Karita Bekkemellem is a Norwegian politician. She belongs to the Norwegian Labour Party, where she leads the women's network.

Mot Dag was a Norwegian political group. The group was active from the 1920s to the early 1930s and was first affiliated with the Labour Party until 1925. After World War II, many of its former members were leaders in Norwegian politics and cultural activities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Norwegian Association for Women's Rights</span> Norwegian feminist political organization (founded 1884)

The Norwegian Association for Women's Rights is Norway's oldest and preeminent women's and girls' rights organization that 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 second 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Helga Karlsen</span>

Helga Aleksandra Karlsen was a Norwegian politician for the Labour Party, and the party's first female Member of Parliament. Coming from humble origins, she gradually made her way up through the organisation of the labour movement. She served two non-consecutive periods in parliament, but died shortly before she could be elected for a third term. She has been called the Labour Party's foremost female politician in the interwar period.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gina Krog</span> Norwegian politician and womens rights activist, editor (1847–1916)

Jørgine Anna Sverdrup"Gina" Krog was a Norwegian suffragist, teacher, liberal politician, writer and editor, and a major figure in liberal feminism in Scandinavia.

Gustav A. Olsen-Berg was a Norwegian typographer and politician. He was the chairman of the Norwegian Labour Party 1893–1894.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Karen Grude Koht</span>

Karen Grude Koht was a Norwegian educationalist, essayist and feminist pioneer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Feminism in Norway</span>

The feminist movement in Norway has made significant progress in reforming laws and social customs in the nation, advancing the rights of the women of Norway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marie Michelet</span>

Marie Elisabeth Michelet, née Storjohann was a Norwegian writer and housewives' leader.

Eigil Knutsen is a Norwegian politician for the Labour Party. He has served as an MP for Hordaland since 2017, and was previously a deputy member from 2013 to 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gunhild Ziener</span> Norwegian politician and womens rights activist

Gunhild Ziener was a Norwegian socialist and politician. A pioneer in Norway's women's movement, she was the first president of the Norwegian Labour Party's Women's Federation when it was established in Christiania in 1901. Thereafter she fostered its extension throughout the country. She was also involved in launching the organization's magazine, Arbejderkvinnen.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Martha Tynæs</span> Norwegian social worker, politician and womens rights activist

Martha Ottomine Steen Tynæs was a Norwegian feminist, social worker and politician. She was one of the pioneering members of the Norwegian Labour Party's Women's Federation which she chaired almost without interruption from 1904 to 1920. From 1901 to 1918 she served as the only woman on the Labour Party's central committee and chaired Christiania's city council from 1908 to 1919. In 1909, she became the first Norwegian women to become a parliamentary candidate when she stood in the constituency of Hammersborg, although she was not elected.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thina Thorleifsen</span> Norwegian politician and womens rights activist

Thina Nilsine Thorleifsen (1885–1959) was a Norwegian politician who was active in the women's movement. She was a prominent member of Den Kvinnelige Tjenerstands Forening from 1910 and its chair from 1915. After the association joined the Labour Party, she became a leading member of the Norwegian Labour Party's Women's Federation from 1918, remaining in key positions until 1953.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hanna Adolfsen</span> Norwegian politician and womens activist

Hanna Adolfsen (1872–1926) was a Norwegian politician who was active in the women's movement. From 1920 to 1923, she headed the Norwegian Labour Party's Women's Federation, taking a more radical stand than her predecessors Gunhild Ziener and Martha Tynæs by supporting dictatorship of the proletariat and socialization in line with trends in Moscow.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Norwegian National Women's Council</span> Norwegian umbrella organization for women

The Norwegian National Women's Council was founded on 8 January 1904 as an umbrella organization for the various Norwegian women's associations. It was established by Gina Krog whose international contacts had revealed that the International Council of Women was keen to include a delegation from Norway. As a result of diminishing interest, the organization discontinued its work at the end of 1989.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Olav Strøm</span>

Olav Johannes Strøm was a Norwegian trade union leader, and one of the pioneers of trade unions in Norway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anna Caspari Agerholt</span> Norwegian womens rights activist

Anna Caspari Agerholt was a Norwegian women's rights activist and writer. She is remembered in particular for her groundbreaking Den norske kvinnebevegelses historie, published in 1937. Agerholt was a pioneering educator in social studies, giving a series of one-year courses for the Norwegian National Women's Council.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anna Gjøstein</span> Norwegian womens right pioneer (1869–1956)

Anna Gjøstein was a Norwegian proponent for women's rights.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Arbeiderpartiets kvinnebevegelse". Store Norske Leksikon (in Norwegian). Retrieved 4 May 2017.
  2. 1 2 Jansen, Trine. "Arbeiderpartiets kvinnebevegelse gjennom 100 år" (in Norwegian). Arbeiderhistorie 2001. Archived from the original on 19 March 2020. Retrieved 4 May 2017.
  3. "Karita Bekkemellem". Store Norske Leksikon (in Norwegian). Retrieved 4 May 2017.