Kvinderådet (known in English as The Women's Council in Denmark), formerly Danske Kvinders Nationalråd), was established in 1899 as the Danish arm of the
International Council of Women
The International Council of Women (ICW) is a women's rights organization working across national boundaries for the common cause of advocating human rights for women. In March and April 1888, women leaders came together in Washington, D.C., with ...
. It acts as an umbrella organization for all the Danish women's associations, working in the areas of
women's rights
Women's rights are the rights and entitlements claimed for women and girls worldwide. They formed the basis for the women's rights movement in the 19th century and the feminist movements during the 20th and 21st centuries. In some countries, ...
as well as social, professional and economic interests.
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Background
Founded in 1899, the Women's Council's two main goals were to act as a forum for all the women's associations in Denmark and to contribute to international policy work with the International Council of Women. Today its members liaise with associations dealing with political gender equality councils, immigration, professional matters,
trades union
A trade union (labor union in American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers intent on "maintaining or improving the conditions of their employment", ch. I such as attaining better wages and benefits ( ...
s and religious bodies. It represents organizations in government, public authorities and various councils and committees. It has also participated in the
UN General Assembly
The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA or GA; french: link=no, Assemblée générale, AG) is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations (UN), serving as the main deliberative, policymaking, and representative organ of the UN. Curr ...
.
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The Council has fostered the creation of several new organizations, including the Danske Kvinders Erhvervsråd (Danish Women's Business Council) in 1934 and the Danske Kvinders Samfundstjeneste (Danish Women's Society Service) in 1940. More recently, the organization has fought for equal pay and leadership for women in Denmark, and internationally for women's reproductive rights, ]gender equality
Gender equality, also known as sexual equality or equality of the sexes, is the state of equal ease of access to resources and opportunities regardless of gender, including economic participation and decision-making; and the state of valuing d ...
in politics and business and measures to prevent trafficking
Smuggling is the illegal transportation of objects, substances, information or people, such as out of a house or buildings, into a prison, or across an international border, in violation of applicable laws or other regulations.
There are various ...
.[
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Today
Today the Council represents 45 Danish organizations with a total membership of over a million. On 26 March 2023, Maria Jose Landeira Østergård was elected as new president of the organisation.
References
{{reflist
External links
Kvinderådet's website
(English presentation)
Women's organizations based in Denmark
Organizations based in Copenhagen
1899 establishments in Denmark