Lao Women's Union (original) (raw)

The Lao Women's Union (LWU; Lao: ສະຫະພັນແມ່ຍິງລາວ) is a women's rights organization established in Laos on 20 July 1955. It was originally called the Lao Patriotic Women's Association, was renamed the Lao Women's Association in 1965 and got its present name at the 1st National Congress in 1984. It has acted as the official leader of the women's movement in Laos since its founding. It is responsible for promoting government policies on women, and protecting women's rights within the government, while liberating them from traditional norms within society and involving them in social revolution with the aim to promote their overall status and welfare in Laotian society.