Women forced onto Norway boards

[Gloria]

http://edition.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/europe/04/05/norway.women.reut/index.html


Women forced onto Norway boards

Wednesday, April 6, 2005 Posted: 1017 GMT (1817 HKT)

story.norway.women.jpg
Women hold more than 40 per cent of seats in the cabinet of PM Bondevik.



OSLO, Norway (Reuters) -- Norway will shut companies that refuse to recruit at least 40 percent women to their boards by 2007 under an unprecedented equality drive, a cabinet minister said on Tuesday.


(snip)

Norway's parliament told firms in 2002 to ensure at least 40 percent of each sex in boardrooms by mid-2005 to force corporate leadership to match Nordic traditions of sex equality elsewhere in society.

Before Tuesday, however, Oslo had not spelt out sanctions for non-compliance. Many companies denounce the scheme as the toughest corporate sex equality goal in the world.

"Since 2002 the percentage of women in boards has risen to only 11 percent from six," Daavoey said. "Yet there are thousands of qualified women out there -- companies can choose from half the adult population."

Many European nations have more women in boardrooms than Norway and the male bastion is a paradox for a country where 40 percent of the cabinet of Prime Minister Kjell Magne Bondevik and 37 percent of parliamentarians are women.

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[Selatius]

1. I don't know whether to applaud it or condemn it

The part of me that wants to condemn it condemns it on authoritarian grounds, while the other part of me wants to applaud it on grounds of fighting for equality.

[Cleita]

3. Would it be more palatable if framed as equal representation?

I agree, it shouldn't be forced, but if they did this voluntarily because it was the right thing to do then they would already be there at 40 to 50 percent. That they have to be forced to face up to the fact that they aren't practicing equality shows it to be a necessary move.

[cap]

4. if women waited for every advance to be made on non-authoritarian

grounds, we'd still be barefoot and pregnant in the kitchen.

The right to vote, hold property, control one's body was never granted willingly.

[smirkymonkey]

2. I am moving to Norway.

We are regressing as far as women's rights are concerned, while other nations are pushing ahead.