Алекс
01-01-2008, 01:53 PM
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/7c85629c-b741-11dc-aa38-0000779fd2ac.html?nclick_check=1
Norwegian public companies are scrambling to meet tomorrow's deadline to fill 40 per cent of board seats with women or risk being shut down.
Some have held extraordinary general meetings over the Christmas period to elect female directors; others may go private to avoid the law.
"There are general assemblies every day these days," says Sigrun Vageng, executive director of NHO, the Norwegian enterprise confederation.
Under an amendment to the companies act passed by the previous centre-right government in 2003, public companies must give men and women at least 40 per cent of board seats each.
More than 80 per cent of companies have complied but up to 80 companies have not. Only a few dozen small companies are expected to fail to comply by the end of February, when extra time allowed after a second formal warning expires.
The Social Democrat government has relaxed threats automatically to revoke the registration of companies that fail to comply.
Ms Vageng said: "They wouldn't put people out on the streets if companies are one woman short."
Norway has long been a leader in promoting gender equality. But the corporate world remained an exception. In 2003 there were 254 women among the country's 2,800 directors of public companies, less than 9 per cent.
The NHO opposed the law but, since it was passed, has led the campaign to recruit female directors. Some 590 women have been nominated by companies to attend its "Female Future" training course, of whom half have since become directors. Norway has the highest proportion of female directors in the world at 36 per cent. Sweden is second and the US third.
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Brick by brick the temple is crumbling. Islamic Norway is coming soon. Female leadership = death.
Norwegian public companies are scrambling to meet tomorrow's deadline to fill 40 per cent of board seats with women or risk being shut down.
Some have held extraordinary general meetings over the Christmas period to elect female directors; others may go private to avoid the law.
"There are general assemblies every day these days," says Sigrun Vageng, executive director of NHO, the Norwegian enterprise confederation.
Under an amendment to the companies act passed by the previous centre-right government in 2003, public companies must give men and women at least 40 per cent of board seats each.
More than 80 per cent of companies have complied but up to 80 companies have not. Only a few dozen small companies are expected to fail to comply by the end of February, when extra time allowed after a second formal warning expires.
The Social Democrat government has relaxed threats automatically to revoke the registration of companies that fail to comply.
Ms Vageng said: "They wouldn't put people out on the streets if companies are one woman short."
Norway has long been a leader in promoting gender equality. But the corporate world remained an exception. In 2003 there were 254 women among the country's 2,800 directors of public companies, less than 9 per cent.
The NHO opposed the law but, since it was passed, has led the campaign to recruit female directors. Some 590 women have been nominated by companies to attend its "Female Future" training course, of whom half have since become directors. Norway has the highest proportion of female directors in the world at 36 per cent. Sweden is second and the US third.
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Brick by brick the temple is crumbling. Islamic Norway is coming soon. Female leadership = death.