On March 3, 2010, I attended a workshop on the reduction of trafficking in which the work of the Women's Front of Norway was presented.  The workshop was sponsored by UNANIMA International.  Agnete Strool represented the front.  What I found attractive about this work and the organization was their capacity for evolution, collaboration, and their unabashed self description as radical and feminist.

The Norwegian Women's Front worked for women's economic independence, their right to legal, safe and free abortion, and issues related to women's bodies and sexuality, pornography and prostitution. Over the last 30 years they worked against prostitution and in 2008 a law criminalizing the purchase of a sexual act was passed in Norway, becoming effective on January 1, 2009.  The law provides for a fine and jail time upon conviction.

Strategy:  The success of the front's efforts rested on their mission commitment and the alliances that they built between the women's movement, feminists in academia, the female dominated labour unions, other labour unions, women and youth in the political parties and the police. Through networking in Norway and linking up with networks internationally, the front extended their reach on the matters of importance to Norwegian women.  They specifically worked to have discussions, actions, meetings, conferences and campaigns that were open and inviting to as many as possible to take part. The strength of these connections supported the effectiveness of their work to lobby the Norwegian political parties in power for a law to reduce demand through the criminalization of purchasing or arranging for acts of prostitution.

Sample tactics:  

• Target sex tourist agencies organizing trips to the Philippines and Thailand.