Gender Equality

Norway congratulates Chile’s former President Michelle Bachelet on her appointment as head of the UN’s new entity for gender equality and the empowerment of women - UN Women. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon appointed Ms Bachelet as head of UN Women yesterday. Read more

UN’s Commission on the Status of Women - CSW - ended this year's session Friday 12 March by adopting a series of resolutions in areas of priority to Norway. Norway played an active role in the very complicated final negotiations. Read more

Norway attracted attention as the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) began its 54 Session in New York last week. The Minister for Children, Equality and Social Inclusion, Mr. Audun Lysbakken, was the only male speaker scheduled to speak on the opening day. The UN Secretary-General invited Norway and China to share the podium when the UN marked the International Women's Day. And Lysbakken’s... Read more

A colourful cast came together at the United Nations to discuss the role of philanthropy in promoting gender equality and women’s empowerment on Monday. Among the more than 300 participants in this special event were Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York,the Oscar-winning actress Geena Davis, and Norway’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Morten Wetland. Read more

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today launched the Network of Men Leaders to End Violence Against Women. Sharing the stage with him at the United Nations in New York was Norway's Minister of Justice and the Police, Knut Storberget. Read more

Norway's Minister of Justice, Knut Storberget, has long campaigned to get men to condemn violence against women, both at home and abroad. On Tuesday 24 November he'll help launch the UN Secretary-General's Network of Men Leaders to end violence against women in New York. Read more

Norway will provide NOK 40 million (USD 7 million) to UN efforts to combat female genital mutilation and violence against women in developing countries. At the same time, Norway will contribute NOK 20 million (USD 3.5 million) to the new UN Fund for Gender Equality. Read more

When the UN General Assembly today discussed the main challenges to the advancement of women, Norway pointed to the root causes of the problem: Conservative and archaic attitudes, often with cultural and religious connotations, leave women and girls at the margins of society in many parts of the world. Read more

The UN General Assembly yesterday approved the establishment of a new agency designed to intensify UN efforts to promote gender equality and the rights of women. “This is an important measure to secure the rights and empowerment of women”, said Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Støre. Read more

Gender equality as an economic and competitive advantage is among the main messages the Norwegian Minister of Equality has to the UN Commission on the Status of Women while heading the Norwegian delegation. As Norway was ranked world no. 1 on gender equality in the World Economic Forum Gender Gap Report 2008, many states are eager to get some ideas from the Norwegian experience.  Read more

– Measures to empower women is the straightest, surest path to more peaceful, prosperous world, said Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on the Norwegian event on Financing for Development and the Economics of Gender. Read more

In two different international rankings Norway have a top score on gender equality (World Economic Forum) and for its commitment to development (Center for Global Development).  Read more

The Norwegian Government has decided to allocate NOK 1 billion to promote education for girls through UNICEF’s work on supporting Education for All in developing countries.  The announcement was made today by Minister of the Environment and International Development Erik Solheim at a high-level event arranged by UNESCO in New York. Read more

“Women must be given more power. It makes economic sense. We will simply not be able to eradicate poverty if half the population is barred from political and economic participation,” said Minister of the Environment and International Development Erik Solheim. Read more

Norway, Sweden and Netherland joine the "Say NO to Violence against Women" campaign, by UNIFEM. Read more

The Norwegian Government launched the new Action Plan for Women's Rights and Gender Equality and Development Cooperation on the International Women's Day, 8 March, 2007. Read more

Foreword to the Action Plan by Erik Solheim, Minister of International Development.   Read more

Ambassador of Iceland Mr. Hjálmar W. Hannesson gave the joint Nordic statement in the Security Council open debate on Women, Peace and Security 19 June 2008, where each one of the Nordic countries was co-sponsoring the resolution. Read more

Promoting women’s rights and gender equality is one of Norway’s main focus areas on the national and international level. Norway aims to include gender considerations in Norwegian foreign policy, such as in the areas of peace and reconciliation and development cooperation. Read more

The Mission of Norway in cooperation with The Center on International Cooperation launched 26 March the “Gender and Security Sector Reform Toolkit”. Read more