Concerns raised over gender representation in public councils in Norway

Gender representation in public councils and boards has shown concerning disparities, particularly in the Fisheries and Transport Ministry. Last year, the ministry had only six women out of 23 available positions, accounting for just 26 percent.

The 2023 report from the Gender Equality Board provides an overview of gender representation across 139 councils and boards of the nine main ministries. The best gender balance is found in the Ministry of Welfare and Education, where women hold 62 of the 134 seats, translating to a 46 percent female representation.

Following closely are the Ministries of Health and of Children and Education, with 45 and 44 percent female representation, respectively. Overall, there are a total of 714 council positions. Women occupy 280 of these, which equates to 39.2 percent.

However, five out of the nine main ministries still fall below the 40 percent threshold for female representation.