User:Katerichards14/Zambian National Women's Lobby

The Zambian National Women's Lobby (ZNWL, National Women's Lobby Group, NWLG,) is a Zambian "membership based, non-partisan, non-governmental organization advocating for increased women and girls' participation and representation at all levels of decision-making." The organization was founded on 20 July 1991 in Lusaka at the Young Women's Christian Association Centre (YMCA). The Lobby was created following Zambia's transition from a one-party state to a multi-party democracy in 1990. Women's rights activists began 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.

Formation
The First Women's Rights Conference in Zambia took place in 1970, establishing The Women's League. The League had their own constitution and an Presidentially elected executive secretary who became an automatic member of the Central Committee of United National Independence Party. The Central Committee representative was responsible for the representation of all women's affairs in the Government. The Women's League promoted a return to traditionalism and the expectation that League members would help men achieve political power, which caused some women to protest such ideas.

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The ZNWL'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.