Posted on 01/12/2006 12:29:11 AM PST by Lorianne
OSLO, Jan. 8 - On the first day of this year - and in the teeth of strenuous opposition from many Norwegian businessmen - Norway's leftist government put into effect one of the more radical attempts to achieve sexual equality: requiring that in the next two years 40 percent of the board members of the nation's large, publicly traded private companies be women.
"The government's decision is to see to it that women will have a place where the power is, where leadership takes place in this society," Karita Bekkemellem, Norway's minister of children and equality, said in an interview here.
"This is very forceful affirmative action, but it will set an example for other centers of society," she said.
Ms. Bekkemellem, and other supporters of the law are pleased with some of the early results. Already in Norway, for example, databases have emerged where thousands of women looking for board positions have listed their names and qualifications, and any of the 519 private corporations affected can search for prospective board members.
Executive recruiting companies are said to be very busy meeting the demand for women with business experience. Already in the past couple of years, in anticipation of the law taking effect, the representation of women on corporate boards increased to 16 percent from roughly 8 percent.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
Hey could be worse. Women accepted into Augusta Country Club.:)
"Women Executives Needed as Eye-Candy during Board Meetings"
"Please send a picture and your measurements."
Don't get mad, get even. :)
Damn, Norway's on the skids. Affirmative action of any sort is crass and uncompetitive.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.