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services.
Gender Equality
#3
Policy Efforts and Commitment to Achieving Gender Equality
9
Gender equality is pursued as a significant policy objective in all areas of public and private activity. There are no quantitative national policy goals, except for a legal requirement (effective 2023) stipulating that at least 40% of board members in all enterprises must be women. The first comprehensive law promoting gender equality was adopted in 1978 and was later revised and extended in 2016 to cover all forms of discrimination. A separate national institution, the Equality and Anti-Discrimination Ombud, oversees the implementation of the law and holds the legal authority to handle specific cases of discrimination.
The proportional representation of men and women in all societal arenas and activities is monitored through general statistical compilations and reports, although it is not the responsibility of any single national unit. While women are now quite well represented in politics and organizations, and increasingly so in business, the labor market and education system remain heavily gendered. Care work in the public sector – and the professional education leading to these occupations – is dominated by women, who typically occupy between 70% and 80% of both study places and jobs. Girls consistently achieve better grades in the school system, leading to high-prestige professions such as medicine, law, and psychology seeing the proportion of female workers increase to well over half. Universities regularly propose quotas for male students; however, there is currently no legal foundation for implementing such measures.
Citations:
Nærings – og fiskeridepartementet. 2023. “Historisk enighet om krav til kjønnsbalanse i norske styrer.”
https://www.regjeringen.no/no/aktue...-til-kjonnsbalanse-i-norske-styrer/id2985631/
The Equality and Anti-Discrimination Ombud.
https://www.ldo.no/en/ldo-english-page/
Barne – og likestillingsdepartementet. 1978. Likestillingsloven.
https://lovdata.no/dokument/NLO/lov/1978-06-09-45
Strong Families
#2
Family Policies
9
Unpaid family care work is broadly associated with a traditional, subordinate role for women and stands in contrast to an official social and tax policy promoting female labor market participation. Economic benefits and tax incentives to sustain one-earner households have been abandoned and replaced with a generous system of child-related services and benefits for economically active parents. Full wage continuation is granted for 12 months of parental leave for a new child.
Ninety-five percent of children aged 1 – 5 attend preschool, and parents have a maximum of 20 days of paid leave in case of child sickness. If a child is chronically ill or disabled, more generous needs-tested schemes exist. Preschools are heavily subsidized, and there is a national maximum on parent co-payment.
Gender equality objectives are reflected in the exclusive right for fathers to take four months of the parental leave period, and the right to stay at home with a sick child is equally distributed among parents. There is a universal, flat-rate child allowance paid per child until the age of 18. Single parents receive an allowance for an extra child. Rights to leave paid work to care for elderly parents are less developed and exist only as a needs-tested scheme administered by local authorities.
Citations:
OECD. 2023. Exploring Norway’s Fertility, Work, and Family Policy Trends. Paris: OECD Publishing.
https://doi.org/10.1787/f0c7bddf-en
Sustainable Pension System
#1
Policies Aimed at Old-Age Poverty Prevention
9
Since 1956, Norway has provided a universal minimum pension to all individuals with little or no additional right to a work-related pension. In 2023 the level of the minimum pension for a one-person household was 60% of the median income of all those in full employment. This is largely sufficient to prevent poverty among many elderly.
However, minimum pensioners are constantly highlighted as a group with demanding financial living conditions, particularly for elderly individuals living alone. In general, if household expenditures on vital goods are extraordinarily high (e.g., heating in the winter, medicines), additional economic assistance can be received through a means-tested scheme.
Citations:
Wright, M.Y. 2022. “Gode pensjonsordninger gir lav fattigdom blant eldre i Norge.” Memu Mennesker og Muligheter.
https://memu.no/artikler/gode-pensjonsordninger-gir-lav-fattigdom-blant-eldre-i-norge/
Hetland, A. 2023. Minstepensjonister i parforhold. Statistics Norway.
https://www.ssb.no/sosiale-forhold-...onad/artikler/minstepensjonister-i-parforhold
Policies Targeting Intergenerational Equity
9
The universal, tax-financed old-age pension system was radically reformed in 2011. The previous defined-benefit system was transformed to install a mechanism for adjusting pension rights in relation to increased life expectancy. This average increase in longevity results in a reduction in the pension received by those choosing to retire early. Consequently, future cohorts will need to work longer to receive the same generous level of pension as earlier cohorts. The economic incentives to work longer are strong.
The system remains a pay-as-you-go structure, where the younger, working population funds the pensions of the elderly. However, there are guarantees that if the elderly do not extend their working careers in line with increased longevity, pension levels will fall to avoid placing an undue burden on the younger workforce. This combination of intergenerational solidarity and a significant element of individual choice among the elderly is widely considered a fair system. It is economically sustainable and robust against a likely future increase in longevity.
However, for individuals with health challenges who cannot realistically choose between retirement and work, the system may produce socially unfair consequences. As a result, a new and separate disability pension has been introduced, paying roughly two-thirds of former income regardless of the number of years in employment.
Citations:
Sustainable Inclusion of Migrants
#12
Integration Policy
8
Integration policy in Norway is relatively well-organized and well-funded. The key policy objective, which is legislated, is to ensure access to training, education, and employment for immigrants to prevent dependence on social security benefits. Rules for applying for citizenship vary depending on the migrant’s country of origin. Despite comprehensive measures
