Laila Dåvøy, Minister of Children and Family Affairs, Norway

On Current Gender Challenges in Japan and Norway: Reconciliation of work and Family Life – participation of women in private and public sectors

JAPAN-NORWAY Joint Seminar 19. February 2003

Your Excellencies, honoured quests from Japan, invited speakers, ladies and gentlemen;

It is a pleasure for me – on behalf of the Norwegian Government – to open this joint seminar. The topic of the seminar is - Current Gender Challenges in Japan and Norway: Reconciliation of work and Family Life – participation of women in private and public sectors -. This topic is of great importance for the development of any nation and the wellbeing for all its citizens. It is necessary that we create a society with equal rights and possibilities for all. Women shall not be forced to choose between work and family. Women must enjoy full human rights and be able to contribute to a nations wealth creating. Not the least: To keep up the birth-rate as one of the main contributions to a nations future; as the creation of human capital is the most important. However, it is a puzzle – a huge and complicated puzzle –, which takes time, lots of patience and hard work.

In Norway, we started basic work on reconciliation of work and family life as early as the sixties. A large number of women entered the workforce, as an answer to the development of the welfare society. Then this enormous workforce demanded child-care, parental leave etc, and these demands in its turn, created new jobs! Women created positive circles!

Today close up to 80 percent of mothers with small children are employed outside of home. Young women are seeking education. In 2001, the number of female students enrolled at the universities and colleges is slightly below 60 percent of the total studentmass. Reconciliation of the demands of work and family life for both women and men has been a core of Norwegian social politics since the 1980s. However, the work continue. We still have a way to go for a society based on gender equality, especially in the decision-making arenas in private sector.

We have to widen our perspective and to have a co-ordinated, coherent and comprehensive approach. This is not a fight between sectors or ministries. We have to work internationally, exchange experience and best practices.

This seminar is an example of such a crossover approach. I am looking forward to listen to all four keynote speakers, and I am very pleased you all were able to attend. I am quite certain you will widen our minds and create a good basis for the panel discussion. In all policy development and practice, it is important to receive comments – critical but constructive comments. Without such comments, policies cannot improve.