Setting the example - half of the members of Government are women. Photo: Scanpix40 percent of Norwegian board members are women
01/02/2010 //
The equal status of women in society has been an important part of public policy in Norway for several years. A central initiative in this context was the Parliament's passing of a law in 2003, requiring that 40 percent of all company board members be women.
When first suggested, the law proposal encountered restive opposition. The critics claimed that it would weaken board competence and competitive ability internationally. As the passing of the law proceeded, the focus of debate shifted towards the subject of women as an untapped resource. Nearly eight years on, the share of female directors at the roughly 400 companies affected is above 40 percent, while women fill more than a quarter of the board seats at the 65 largest privately held companies.
Read more about getting women into boardrooms, by law in the New York Times.