Betzy Kjelsberg was one of Norway’s first women who graduated from high school. Later she also had an education in Commerce.
Female matters interested her early, and she became the leading spokeswoman in contemporary time. She participated in the Norwegian Association for Women from the start and was chairman of the Norwegian Women's National Council for 16 years.
From 1926 she was “Deputy Chairman of the International Council of Women”.
She was also the first female factory inspector, and held a series of lectures on hygiene in factories and started several women's associations in Drammen.