Audun Lysbakken (Socialist Left Party) succeeds Anniken Huitfeldt (Labour Party) as Minister for Children and Social Inclusion in Norway’s
new red-green government. Huitfeldt, meanwhile, becomes Minister of Culture. Norway now has a government consisting of ten
women and ten men.
With Audun Lysbakken as the new Norwegian equality minister, men form the majority among the gender equality ministers in
the Nordic countries. In Finland, the Minister for Culture, Stefan Wallin (Swedish People’s Party), is responsible for gender
equality issues and in Iceland, the remit of the Minister for Social Affairs, Árni Páll Árnason (Social Democrats), also includes
gender equality.
Only Sweden and Denmark currently have women as gender equality ministers. In Sweden, Nyamko Sabuni (Liberal Party) is Minister
for Integration and Gender Equality, and in Denmark, the Minister of Employment, Inger Støjberg (Liberal Party), is responsible
for gender equality matters.
Solveig Bergman, Director at NIKK, notes that great changes have taken place within a short time in Nordic gender equality
politics. It is no longer regarded as a women’s issue only.
“The fact that the majority of the Nordic gender equality ministers are now men has an important symbolic value, and underlines
the fact that gender equality issues also affect men. At the same time, it is important not to forget the critical voices,
which remind us that the gender of a minister is not essential. Gendered power structures are still in place,” says Bergman.
Read more about the new Norwegian Government.
9Nov2009
Men form the majority of Nordic ministers for gender equality
For the first time ever, men are now in the majority among the Nordic ministers for gender equality. As Audun Lysbakken becomes a minister in the new Norwegian government, three out of five gender equality ministers are men.
