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'' (The Women's Servant Class Association) 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 The Norwegian Labour Party's Women's Federation ( no, italic=no, Arbeiderpartiets kvindeforbund) was established in Freetown Christiania, Christiania in 1901 and extended to cover the whole of Norway in 1909. Initially concerned with Quality of wo ...

from 1918, remaining in key positions until 1953.

Biography

Born on 17 January 1885 in

Hokksund Hokksund is a town in the municipality of Øvre Eiker in the county of Viken, Norway. History Hokksund is the administrative centre, and largest town in Øvre Eiker, with a population of around 8,000. Hokksund is located 18 km west of Dramm ...

Øvre Eiker Øvre Eiker is a municipality in the traditional and electoral district Buskerud in Viken county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Eiker. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Hokksund. The old municipali ...

, she was the daughter of Thorleif Olsen (born 1846) and his partner Ingeborg (born 1851). When she was 17, she became a maid in the home of the poet

Per Sivle Per Sivle (6 April 1857 – 6 September 1904) was a Norwegian poet, novelist and newspaper editor. He is known for his novel ''Streik'' from 1891, and for his collections of stories issued between 1887 and 1895, ''Sogor'' (includes the story "Berre ...

who awakened her interest in politics. She later moved to Christiania where she was a housemaid for the politician

Kyrre Grepp Olav Kyrre Grepp (6 August 1879 – 6 February 1922) was a Norwegian politician, leader of the Norwegian Labour Party. Grepp became a Communist by the end of his life and was active in the Comintern. He studied literature and philosophy, howev ...

. In 1907, in connection with a dispute in the paper industry, she took part in a demonstration in

St. Hanshaugen St. Hanshaugen (Norwegian for St. John's Hill) is a borough of the city of Oslo, Norway. Area It has a triangular shape, with its northern border just north of the buildings of the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation and Ullevål University Hos ...

where she experienced the workers strong spirit of cohesion. "From that day on, I was ready to join the labour movement," she later explained. She became a member of the Women's Servant Class Association in 1910, serving as its chairman in 1915. When the organization joined the Labour Party, she joined the executive committee of the party's Women's Federation. In 1918, when

Hanna Adolfsen 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 (''Arbeiderpartiets kvindeforbund''), taking a more radical stand than he ...

retired as a result of failing health, Thorleifsen became the federation's leader. The same year, she was elected as a deputy member of the Labour Party's central committee, serving as a full member from 1919 to 1923. In 1923, Thorleifer, together with Sigrid Syvertsen, established the Labour Party's Women's Secretariat (''Arbeiderpartiets Kvinnesekretariat'') directly answerable to the party's leadership. Under the chairmanship of Syvertsen, she filled the post of permanent secretary until 1953, always serving the interests of the party. Her success in politics was mainly a result of her organizational abilities and her public speaking. While others used the Women's Federation as a springboard, she continued to support the movement loyally until she was forced into retirement for health reasons. Thorleifsen also served as a member of Oslo's city council from 1932 to 1934. Together with Sigrid Syvertsen, Thorleifer wrote ''Kvinner i strid: historien om Arbeiderpartiets kvinnebevegelse'' (1960), the only comprehensive historical account of the Labour Party's Women's Federation.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Thorleifsen, Thina Norwegian women's rights activists 1885 births 1959 deaths Labour Party (Norway) politicians Norwegian feminists People from Øvre Eiker Socialist feminists 20th-century Norwegian politicians 20th-century Norwegian women politicians