Public reports and a white paper on gender equality submitted to the Norwegian parliament
(Stortinget)
In 2010, the Government appointed a public Equality Commission to report on Norway’s gender
equality policy based on people’s lifecycle, ethnicity and social class. The objective of the reporting
work was to lay the foundation for a general and knowledge-based equality policy for the future. The
Commission submitted two reports: Official Norwegian Report (NOU) 2011:18 Structure for Equality
and Official Norwegian Report (NOU) 2012: 15 Policy for Equality. These reports contain
recommendations concerning the institutional and organisational frameworks for the equality work
carried out by public authorities at a national, regional and local level, and also propose measures to
promote gender equality in various areas of society.1
The Government has submitted a new white paper on gender equality to the Norwegian parliament, cf
White Paper no. 44 (2012-2013) Equality does not occur by itself. This white paper presents the state
of equality in Norway in key areas such as participation in democratic processes, education, working
life, caring for a family and sexual harassment. In addition, it assesses the way in which the public
sector work to promote equality is organised. The white paper is based on the Equality Commission’s
two reports and discusses some of the measures proposed by these reports.
Norway is regularly selected as a country with one of the highest levels of gender equality. History has
taught us that equality does not occur by itself. Political measures implemented over many years and
ambitions to have an equal society have produced results. Ensuring that all boys and girls are given a
good education is the key to counteracting social inequality and creating a fairer society. Taking part
in the labour market and having a salary that it is possible to live on are fundamental to equality
between men and women. Participation in the labour force is generally high in Norway, including
among women and the elderly. At the same time, we have good public care services, generous parental
leave schemes and flexible working-hour schemes which make it possible to combine working with
caring for family members. Society’s support for equality is also increasing in Norway.
Despite that which has been achieved, the white paper shows there are still challenges to overcome in
the equality area towards which future efforts must be aimed:
There is not gender equality in party politics. Although women now make up almost 40 per cent, on
average, of the municipal council representatives in Norway, there are great variations in the
percentages of women on the various municipal councils.
In the field of education, there is an increasing gap between the education levels of women and men.
There is a clear female majority in higher education. Educational choices are still clearly gender
divided at all levels of education.
Part-time work is a challenge to equality. Around 40 per cent of working women in Norway are
employed part-time, with the consequences that has for their career, income and pension. Women still
have a much lower income and salary than men. Women’s pay equalled an average of 86.5 per cent of
men’s pay in 2012 (adjusted for working hours). In 2011, women’s income equalled 66 per cent of
men’s income. Working life is today more or less as gender divided as it was 20 years ago.
Men play a greater role in caring for their family today than they did 30 years ago. However, women
still have greater responsibility than men for unpaid care work. This particularly applies to tasks that
are difficult to combine with labour force participation.
1
Offical Norwegian Report (NOU) 2011: 18 Structure for Equality, Official Norwegian Report (NOU) 2012: 15
Policy for Equality
Although sexual harassment is prohibited, it is nonetheless an extensive social problem that
particularly affects young girls. Among the youngest women (17-24 years old) in working life, 13 per
cent experience sexual harassment once a month or more.
The white paper’s main measures
We have come a long way as regards legal tools for promoting equality in Norway. One main future
measure will be to focus efforts on the local level. The solution to equality challenges must primarily
be found where people live and work, in the municipalities and individual companies.
The Government therefore wants to establish a nationwide state structure with four regional equalitycompetence environments. One of the main tasks of the competence environments will be to provide
guidance and training on the duty to carry out active equality work. The competence environments
will, among other things, support the municipalities in their work of promoting a gender balance in
local elected bodies, encouraging untraditional education choices and preventing sexual harassment
among young people.
The competence environments are to be organised under the Norwegian Directorate for Children,
Youth and Family Affairs (Bufdir), which will also further develop its gender-equality work. Such a
structure paves the way for more long-term equality work.
The ability to implement the equality policy will also be strengthened by the creation of a reinforced
tri-partite collaboration with employer and employee organisations. The Ministry of Children,
Equality and Social Inclusion will make conditions suitable for local development work to promote
equality in working life.
The Ministry also aims to establish a sexual-harassment guidance service in the Norwegian
Directorate for Children, Youth and Family Affairs. The guidance service will provide web-based
information on rights and opportunities for help and on how to proceed to bring a case before the
courts. The Ministry will also consider increasing the funding given to family and equality policy
organisations.