'By changing legislation, we were able to change minds, hearts'

The Korea Times

The Korea Times

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Sat, September 23, 2023 | 06:58

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'By changing legislation, we were able to change minds, hearts'

Posted : 2020-03-06 21:41

Updated : 2020-03-06 21:41

By Kim Se-jeong

Norwegian Ambassador Frode Solberg

Women in Norway comprise an average of 45.2 percent of the board members of all listed companies in the country.

This is thanks to Ansgar Gabrielsen, a former trade minister and politician, who introduced the female board member quota system in 2005.

"He was absolutely convinced that the quota system to increase the number of women on boards was necessary. Since it was passed, there's a rule that all listed companies in Norway must have 40 percent gender equality. The number before (2005) was 15 percent, now we're up to 42.5 percent of women on boards," Norwegian Ambassador to Korea Frode Solberg said during an interview Wednesday prior to the International Women's Day on March. 8.

"By changing the legislation, we were able to change minds, hearts and culture," the ambassador said. "So nowadays, it would be impossible for a company in Norway to have an all-male board. It wouldn't be natural."

The female board member quota system is one of many measures that made Norway an example of gender equality. In the 2019 Economist gender equality index, Norway ranked fourth, following Iceland, Sweden and Finland.

Asked whether the quota system could be possible without penalties, Solberg said, "it might have come about, but it would have taken much longer."

The quota system also brought in changes to the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs which the ambassador works for.

Currently, "among senior diplomats serving as ambassadors, we have more than 40 percent of women, although this goes up and down every year. Within the managerial level, it is 50 percent. So it's more or less at an equal level," he said.

The story of Norway carries significance for Korea which traditionally looked down upon women. But in recent decades, the government is spearheading efforts to build gender equality in Korea. In 1988, the government created a department dedicated to women's issues.

It encourages businesses to have more women in decision-making positions and recognizes companies that achieve this. The government itself tries to have more female staff in managerial positions.

Yet, the ratio of female board members at Korean conglomerates, or chaebol, is less than 1 percent. A recently revision to the Financial Investment Services and Capital Markets Act has a clause that companies should have at least one women on their board, but companies that don't comply aren't penalized.

skim@koreatimes.co.kr