Women in Politics and Leadership Anne-Mette Øvrum Director

Presentation My name: Anne-Mette Øvrum. Married to Emil and Mother to Carl Emil 9 years old. Education: Master in international management from Norwegian business School. I have more than 25 years of management experience from both the public and private sector. 10 years from Employment Agency. 10 years in municipal service delivery and five years as founder and CEO I have more than 10 years experience as a politician - the last 6 years as an active politician – and 4 years in position as mayor of Sør-Odal Currently I am a director of A nationwide service that provides the deaf and deaf-blind with individual facilitated care and assistance in a sign language environment.

Norway is often referred to as one of the countries with the highest degree of gender equality in the world – the question is: do we really have “completed” equality between women and men in both politics and leadership?

Norway was the first independent nation to pass this law History To understand the situation in Norway – we have to look at the Norwegian Women's movement history line – actually started as early as 1884. Over the years 1884 - 1913 there was worked actively for women's rights in Norway. 1884: The writer Camilla Collett is referred to as our first feminist and the founding mother of the Norwegian Women`s Movements – and she criticized the general opinion that (said that) the single purpose of a woman's life was to marry and to be supported by her husband, and she debated the women`s lack of freedom due to patriarchy. 1885: The Norwegian Association for Women`s Suffrage established, and they fought many different causes – but first of all the women's right to vote. All this lead to founding of many other associations – and at the end of the Century women were recruited from the upper strata of society to become telegraphists and teachers. Factories was growing up – and the need of labour – and women were employed. 1913: The final triumph – a general suffrage for woman was decided on an unanimous vote by The Norwegian Parliament. Norway was the first independent nation to pass this law

1970: A new change of direction within the Women's Movement, younger women were getting engaged – with new causes raised: The right for abortion The right to decide over their own bodies. Establishing of kinder gardens and children care

Women in politics 1981: Gro Harlem Brundtland became Norway`s first female Prime Minister. She appointed a “female government” with 44 % women in 1986. This became a world sensation. Still, female politicians had a rough time, and were sometimes both ridiculed and disregarded. Today, the most Norwegian political parties have a goal of having at least 40 % of women among their candidates, BUT – it`s still situations that women are ridiculed and disregarded. We have a good democracy in Norway, and is often told as one of the best and safest places to live. 3 of the 7 biggest political parties are headed by Women. Women have opportunities in Norway - but my contention is still that the networks of power and influence are mainly men.

Erna Solberg. Prime Minister of Norway Siv Jensen. Finance Minister of Norway In Norway, the proportion of female members of parliament 39.6 percent.

But it is still like that men run the world But it is still like that men run the world. The statistics on the number of women at the very top of the policy is discouraging equality again - 11 female heads of state and 10 female heads of government in the world, according to the latest count from the UN agency UN Women last August. The proportion of female politicians is also far below 50 percent, as of 1 April this year was only 22.6 per cent of the world's parliamentarians women, according to statistics from the Inter-Parliamentary Union. Rwanda has the highest proportion of women in the National Assembly - here is over 63 percent of politicians are women. Still, there are several countries in the world which have zero women in the National Assembly, including Yemen, Haiti and Vanuatu. In the US, 19.4 percent of the members of Congress are women.

Women in Leadership positions Kristin Skogen Lund, Director general of the Confederation of Norwegian Enterprise (NHO) LO President Gerd Kristiansen The Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions (LO)

Equal right`s for all Women Gender based violence is a huge societal challenge. to this, women`s reduced engagement in the labour market makes women more dependent on their male partners in their relationships. Further to this again, victims of gender-based violence, due to the systematic abuse they have been subject to, experience reduced self-confidence and self- esteem, hindering their active engagement in work life.   How can we highlight the importance of cooperation between the different organisations (public and private) that are working with women who have been subject to this form of violence, so they may get their life back, encouraging their social and labour integration? Work breaks the circle of violence.

We have debates in Norway if there is a glass ceiling - or rather about the glass ceiling. It seems to be difficult to reach the top level (although we have Woman on top in some positions) There are more men in senior management positions (in Norway we have 0 women in executive management positions). There are more men on boards, there are more men who manage volunteers - and sports organizations - but there are several women who are educated - and that makes it very good results Why? What to do?

To succeed it has been important for women to have role models, both in politics and leading positions. There is still work to do - networking - make our selves visible in top positions - be willing to take risks

The question was: do we really have “completed” equality between women and men in both politics and leadership? The answer is NO