National Women's Lobby Group
Encyclopedia
The National Women's Lobby Group (NWLG, sometimes written Zambian National Women's Lobby, ZNWL) is a Zambia
n organization whose mission is to "bridge the gender gap
in political decision making by advocating for increased women's participation and representation".
The organization was founded in 1991, following Zambia's transition from a one-party state to a multi-party democracy
, by a group of 100 women's rights activists protesting the lack of equal representation in all levels of the Zambian government. At the time, only seven women served in the Parliament of Zambia out of 150 seats, and only three women served on the Central Committee, the equivalent of today's Presidential Cabinet.
The NWLG's goals include promoting the equal participation of women in the political decision-making process, promoting a culture of gender equality
and respect for the human rights
of women through changes in attitudes, language, procedure and laws, and having more women politicians through affirmative action
.
Since its inception, the NWLG has become one of the leading forces for women's rights in Zambia, and has been formally recognized by the government as the lead NGO for these issues. The organization has been active in a number of international workshops, and has aided in monitoring elections in Lusaka
.
Zambia
Zambia , officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. The neighbouring countries are the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the north, Tanzania to the north-east, Malawi to the east, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia to the south, and Angola to the west....
n organization whose mission is to "bridge the gender gap
Gender gap
Gender gap may refer to:*Gender differences in a general psycho-social context*Gender pay gap*Income disparity by gender in a purely economic context*The Global Gender Gap Report*Father's rights in child custody determinations of family courts...
in political decision making by advocating for increased women's participation and representation".
The organization was founded in 1991, following Zambia's transition from a one-party state to a multi-party democracy
Democracy
Democracy is generally defined as a form of government in which all adult citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Ideally, this includes equal participation in the proposal, development and passage of legislation into law...
, by a group of 100 women's rights activists protesting the lack of equal representation in all levels of the Zambian government. At the time, only seven women served in the Parliament of Zambia out of 150 seats, and only three women served on the Central Committee, the equivalent of today's Presidential Cabinet.
The NWLG's goals include promoting the equal participation of women in the political decision-making process, promoting a culture of gender equality
Gender equality
Gender equality is the goal of the equality of the genders, stemming from a belief in the injustice of myriad forms of gender inequality.- Concept :...
and respect for the human rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
of women through changes in attitudes, language, procedure and laws, and having more women politicians through affirmative action
Affirmative action
Affirmative action refers to policies that take factors including "race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation or national origin" into consideration in order to benefit an underrepresented group, usually as a means to counter the effects of a history of discrimination.-Origins:The term...
.
Since its inception, the NWLG has become one of the leading forces for women's rights in Zambia, and has been formally recognized by the government as the lead NGO for these issues. The organization has been active in a number of international workshops, and has aided in monitoring elections in Lusaka
Lusaka
Lusaka is the capital and largest city of Zambia. It is located in the southern part of the central plateau, at an elevation of about 1,300 metres . It has a population of about 1.7 million . It is a commercial centre as well as the centre of government, and the four main highways of Zambia head...
.