The Icelandic Women’s Rights Association (IWRA) has joined the European Women‘s Lobby (EWL) and will serve as a national coordination in Iceland.
EWL was founded in 1990 and has its Secretariat is located in Brussels. It is the largest European umbrella network of women’s associations in Europe, with member organisations in 30 countries and 19 European-wide organisations representing the diversity of women and girls in Europe.
On IWRA joining the EWL, our President Gwendoline Lefebvre said: “We are thrilled to have the Icelandic Women’s Rights Association as our National Coordination in Iceland and they join us with a long history of feminism and women’s rights activism. It’s great to see our membership extend to new countries, including those that are part of the European Free Trade Association. We believe that we are stronger as a European women’s rights movement by working together in sisterhood and learning from each other. We know that the Icelandic Women’s Rights Association will make vital contributions to our collective work in Europe and we are excited to be working together to build a feminist Europe.”
Fríða Rós Valdimarsdóttir, the Chair of Icelandic Women’s Rights Association (Kvenréttindafélag Íslands), said: “Since the days of the suffragettes, the women’s movement in Iceland has relied on the support of a vibrant international alliance of women. We are a small island in the middle of the Atlantic, but we are not an isolated nation. Inspiration and ideas from our feminist sisters abroad have been invaluable in our struggle for equal rights. The solidarity of women in Iceland is strong and has been fundamental to the social changes which have taken place in recent years. We are very excited to join the European Women’s Lobby, to work together for an equal future. With a mass movement of women and cross-cultural solidarity, we can effect real social change in Europe!”
As a full member of EWL, IWRA is granted a seat on the board of EWL and voting rights at the EWL General Assembly. IWRA will serve as a national coordination for EWL, connecting Icelandic civil societies with this large European organization.
The board of the Icelandic Women’s Rights Association is now working on a draft of proposed changes to the bylaws of the association, to assure a democratic process of working with the European Women’s Lobby. These proposals will be presented to the general assembly of IWRA this coming April.
