The people behind

The people behind WalkawayPower

WalkawayPower was founded by Silje Arntzen Mikalsen, who is behind the idea, the concept and the development of the digital platform.

Marianne Skattum and Silje Arntzen Mikalsen

Silje and Marianne Skattum, who has a legal background, came together through a shared commitment to people living with violence and control. They found that they shared both fundamental values and an ambition to make a real difference for people living in unsafe relationships.

Both have personal experience of violence. This has given them a personal understanding of how complex life can be for people subjected to violence and control, and of how important it is to have knowledge, support and real choices.

Together they have chosen to develop WalkawayPower as a non-profit foundation, in which the interests of the people who will use its services must always come before commercial interests.

Silje Arntzen Mikalsen

Founder and initiator

Silje developed the idea behind WalkawayPower, as well as its concept, brand and digital platform. She designed the structure and overall user experience of the service, and took the initiative to set up the interdisciplinary expert panel that contributes to the quality assurance of the content.

She has a background in leadership, strategic business development, organisational development and the development of new concepts and services. She also holds a bachelor’s degree in HR and personnel management and has completed introductory university studies in psychology.

Through her work with Voldsavsnittet.no, she has experience of sharing knowledge, teaching and building competence in preventing and averting violence.

At WalkawayPower, Silje has primary responsibility for concept and product development, and works on strategy, organisational development, professional coordination and further development.

Marianne Skattum

Co-founder and legal/professional partner

Marianne has a law degree and experience of legal and administrative issues relating to people’s rights, public services and the support system.

Through her work, she has been particularly engaged in issues of violence, legal safeguards and society’s responsibility to prevent, detect and avert violence.

Marianne has contributed to the development of WalkawayPower with legal and professional expertise, financial resources and contacts with relevant professional communities and partners.

Her expertise, commitment and network are important contributions to the work of establishing WalkawayPower as a professionally sound and independent organisation.

Shared values

For Silje and Marianne, WalkawayPower is about more than developing a digital service. They share an ambition to build an organisation that can make knowledge more accessible, strengthen people’s room for action and help to prevent violence and control.

The decision to establish a non-profit foundation follows directly from these values.

They want WalkawayPower to exist for the people who need its services, not as a commercial enterprise or a financial asset from which the founders or their descendants can derive private gain.

This principle is also enshrined in the Foundation’s statutes. Services for people subjected to violence and those close to them shall be free of charge, and neither the users nor WalkawayPower’s name, brand and reputation shall be exploited commercially for private gain.

At the same time, the Foundation shall be able to receive support, enter into partnerships and develop income-generating activities where this helps to fulfil its purpose and safeguards its professional independence.

The ambition is to build something that lasts: an organisation that can continue to develop, even when the founders are one day no longer involved, and that over time can help more people gain the knowledge, support and freedom they need to be able to choose for themselves.

Read about our purpose See how you can contribute

Do you need help now?

WalkawayPower is not yet a publicly available self-help service. This website tells you about the initiative and our development work. If you need help now, please contact an established support service. If you are in immediate danger, call the police on 112.

WalkawayPower is in development and does not offer individual help. This website is not a crisis or counselling service.

In immediate danger: call 112.

Crisis centres in NorwayFind your nearest crisis centre (in Norwegian)Crisis centres offer free advice and support. You can contact them without a referral.