The National Women's Lobby Group (NWLG, sometimes written Zambian National Women's Lobby, ZNWL) is a Zambian 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.
Famous quotes containing the words national, women and/or lobby:
“We love the indomitable bellicose patriotism that sets you apart; we love the national pride that guides your muscularly courageous race; we love the potent individualism that doesn’t prevent you from opening your arms to individualists of every land, whether libertarians or anarchists.”
—Tommaso Marinetti (1876–1944)
“I introduced her to Elena, and in that life-quickening atmosphere of a big railway station where everything is something trembling on the brink of something else, thus to be clutched and cherished, the exchange of a few words was enough to enable two totally dissimilar women to start calling each other by their pet names the very next time they met.”
—Vladimir Nabokov (1899–1977)
“The indifferent clerk he knowing what was going to happen
The lobby zombies they knowing what
The whistling elevator man he knowing
The winking bellboy knowing
Everybody knowing! I’d be almost inclined not to do anything!”
—Gregory Corso (b. 1930)