Ole Abroad (Robin): Noting equality in Norway

So far I have been in Oslo for almost eight weeks. Living in Norway has not exactly provided a
culture shock, instead, I find that the longer I am here, the more I can see what makes Norway
different. Since Norway is a highly modernized country, or “Americanized” as the Norwegians say, the differences are actually quite subtle at first.

For example, it wasn’t until I worked at an orchestra concert that I realized when a Norwegian crowd applauds, they clap in unison. The first time this happened to me, it was just awkward. Imagine an entire crowd of happy, smiling, cheering people, clapping and stomping together after a serious Bach movement. It was just…goofy.

There are also many greater cultural norms I’ve noticed in Norway, making this trip one of the most inspiring months of my life. The main one that struck me immediately after moving here is the equality of genders, and the difference in gender roles. For instance, while grabbing some coffee in the morning before class, I will pass by just as many men pushing strollers and escorting their children to kindergarten as women. It is amazing. Women are so empowered here! And while there are some minor negative effects to this empowerment, the positives of this equality and power are too great to ignore.

 The results of these policies to ensure gender equality were at first, shocking to me. The percentage of educated and working women are much higher here, and it is actually expected of women to be working their entire lives, despite the difficult task of raising a family. Yes, it is true that they are allotted time to spend at home after pregnancy – something American mothers only dream of (and will in fact, sacrifice their careers to acquire more of) – but after spending time with their newborns, Norwegian mothers will eventually assimilate back into the working world.
  
A few impressive facts:
 • two out of three Norwegian women are employed
 • Since the mid-1980s, Norwegian women have been the majority in higher education, and today more than six out of ten students are women. The proportion of women is particularly high at
university colleges (64%).
 • Average monthly earnings for women in full-time employment in Norway represent 87% of
men’s. Women’s gross annual income, however, is only 64% of men’s. In 1984, the
corresponding figure was 47%.
 •40% of board members in public limited companies are women
  [*taken from Statistics Norway. http://www.ssb.no/likestilling_en/]
These statistics are possible due to the gender roles that I mentioned, with the example of men
playing a larger part in family life among many other reasons.

Below is an ad I saw while in the post office the other day that illustrates this phenomena too perfectly:

 
 A couple weekends ago, I was given the opportunity to see these family roles firsthand, while I stayed with a family in Kongsvinger (a Norwegian town outside of Oslo) for a few days. The family was made up of Joanna, the American born wife, Terje, her husband from traditional North Norway, and their two children, Henning (3 years) and Josephine (1 year). Both Terje and Joanna have jobs and their children attend the local daycare center. After I left their house, I realized that Joanna had not made us a single meal. Terje was the cook of the family, and a skilled one. The majority of what he made for us was from scratch as well, including his own bread, rice porridge, and even pizza. Both parents equally shared tasks involving the children as well, such as bringing them to daycare, changing diapers, etc.

Even with their incredible progress toward a gender equal country, Norway is still not entirely satisfied. They are still working to close the wage gap and bring more women into positions of power. As an American woman and student, I am so appreciative of their attempts to be the first to build a gender equal state, and seeing the effects of these efforts in person are (cheesy, I know) really life-changing for me. To see what is possible, as far as empowering women and equalizing men and women, is incredibly inspiring.

* Robin Cole ’13 is studying at the University of Oslo through St. Olaf College’s HECUA program: The Divided States of Europe.