Taking the next step – fearless, graceful and together

W.I.N. 2007 10th Global Leadership Forum
Oslo 27. – 29. September 2007

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Mrs Chair, Dear all participants on this 10th Global Forum.

As Norwegians we feel proud that the Network chooses to set this 10th Forum in Oslo Norway. Mrs Kirsten Engvig, the president of WIN, who I believe has moved back to Norway after several years abroad, may have affected the decision. I am sure that your stay in Oslo and the Forum will be of great interest and I also hope you will find Oslo a city of charm and hospitality. 

I am also proud to represent a government with more women than men in the cabinet.

Modern societies need to utilize all human resources, with their personal qualities, education and skills, regardless of gender. Both women and men must be able to participate in working life, social life and family life. It is a matter of democracy, and to be honest: It should be a matter of common sense.

Women in leadership and female entrepreneurship are good for economy and leads to competitive and innovative business enterprises! This strategy of economic success can only be achieved by men and women in common!
European countries, like rest of the world, needs to bring more women into the economy and we must encourage people to stay longer at the labour market. Many countries now face the challenges of an increasing elderly population together with falling birth-rates. In such a picture, it is important to make use of all the human resources in a country combined with a high enough fertilityrate in order to maintain the welfare state and to keep the economy going.
More women than men choose higher education these days – in other words women are the future entrepreneurs and innovators

One of the silliest things I hear is that we don't have enough qualified women. In Norway, there are a high number of women in paid work, and Norwegian women are also highly educated. For several years, more women then men have finished a higher education. Some Norwegian figures: Almost 65 per cent of the students at universities and colleges are women. 50 per cent of the law school graduates are women, so are 40 per cent of the MBA-graduates, approximately 70 per cent of the graduates from the Veterinary College, the School of dental surgery and the psychology graduates. Almost 60 per cent of Medical School graduates are women. Despite the fact that an increasing number of women has finished a higher education, the number of women on company board remains small.  But the reason is not that we don't have enough qualified women – indeed we do – it's that women's competence is ignored.

The key in economics of gender is a redistribution of power, care and work. When doing so, we will meet strong resistance. People seldom let go of power voluntary. There are counter forces to such a development. These counter forces needs to be addressed. But redistribution of power, care and work is the only road ahead for sustainable development in our region. The WIN network and this Forum fully support this vision.  
 
Women and men’s access to economic resources is reflected in their participation in the workforce. When we look at Norwegian business and industry and the people in charge of substantial financial resources and technology, we find few women in senior positions.

The Government has taken a radical step to change this. We are the first and as far as I know the only country in the world to have an Act on gender representation on the boards of public limited companies (from 1 January 2006) in state owned companies and inter municipal companies (from 1 January 2004). Personally I am all for the use of quotas. Application of quotas is not about reinstating competent men with mediocre women, but to recruit skilled women to replace mediocre men. Men in leading positions have their own recruiting methods. 

It has paid off; by July 2007 – 65 % of all 525 boards of public limited companies fulfill the new requirement, but 28% of them still don’t have female board members. Norway is full of competent, well educated women so I take it for granted that the requirements within the law should easily be fulfilled within the time given.

I still haven't heard any intelligent criticism on gender representation. Reaching a balanced participation is a question of democracy. We regard the legislation on women in boards as an important step towards equality between the sexes, a fairer society and a more even distribution of power, and as an important factor in the creation of wealth in society. This legislation will secure women's influence in decision making processes of great importance for the economy in our society. To make use of all the human resources in our society, not just half of it, is an intelligent thing to do!

The absence of women in economic decision making is a problem both for business and industry, and for economic growth. My Government regards the legislation on women on company boards as an important step towards equality in economic decision making, a fairer society and a more even distribution of power. We also see this as an important factor in the creation of wealth in society. 
I strongly believe; using all available human resources will create diversity, diversity will bring about creativity, which will bring economic growth as a consequence.

The Government will present a plan of action for women entrepreneurship in the near future.

Competition in the future will be increasingly about the ability to innovate and produce value-creating solutions.  This will require the establishment of a strong innovation culture and the ability to use – men and women’s – own unique core skills.

We believe it is impossible to exploit the workforce potential represented by women unless men take their share of child care. Workplaces must notice than men are parents! We therefore must focus on men and gender equality. The Government will present a green paper on man and gender equality for the Parliament next year.

Diversity gives organisations a potential for innovation. But this potential is only of any use when the creativity that lies within the different point of views according to skill, gender, ethnicity is taken into consideration, decision making and account.

 And ladies, remember: The opposite of equality is injustice.

Thank you for your attention and my very best wishes for the Forum!