European interest in Norwegian gender equality policies

No.:  06025
Date:  11 May 2006
Contact:  Information secretariat  +47 22 24 24 07 home

 

Council of Europe’s 28th ministerial conference on family affairs in Lisbon

European interest in Norwegian gender equality policies

 

The Norwegian Minister of Children and Equality, Karita Bekkemellem, will take part in the Council of Europe’s conference in Portugal on 16-17 May.

 

European countries are worried about steadily sinking fertility rates. Norway is among the most fertile European countries, with a fertility rate of 1.84 children per woman. At the conference Karita Bekkemellem has been asked to make a presentation on Norwegian gender equality and family affairs policies. Many people wonder how Norway has been able to maintain its relatively high birth rate even though a large proportion of Norwegian women participate in the work force.

 

Gender equality pays
"I will use the opportunity to explain how our gender equality policies also pay off handsomely in the labour market and the economy as a whole,” says Karita Bekkemellem. "I will also call attention to the fact that our family policies extend to cohabiting couples and gay and lesbian couples, because they too are parents. Another subject I will take up is this: There can be no gender equality without men. In that context, I will report on a new parliamentary White Paper on men and gender equality that I will be submitting to the Storting next year."

 

Link to the programme

 

Follow www.bld.dep.no for updated information