International Women's Day

8th March 2013 is International Women's Day, and also the centenary of women receiving the right to vote in Norway. The day seems to have passed quietly. A few concerts have been arranged here on the west coast and Oslo is probably doing something similar.

What is more interesting though is the debate that the anniversary appears to have inspired in the newspapers! Author and psychologist Linn Stalsberg has just published a book 'Am I free now?' where she discusses whether what women have so far achieved was really what they were fighting for backi in the 1970's.

Many women in Norway return to work, but do so on a part-time basis. The question is why? Linn S. argues that a hectic lifestyle, climbing the career ladder and taking the brunt of caring for children and maybe older parents, is far to demanding for women to continue working full time - at least whilst children are small and parents are hanging in there! Yet most Norwegians seem to be much better at sharing household chores and taking care of the children than others.

Equality minister Inga Marte Thorkildaen however, thinks it is unhelpful to women in general that so many choose to work part time. You are either 100% engaged in your career, or 100% at home parent! And this in a country where family definitely comes first. Wow - that is quite a statement ror a country where the rights and needs of the individual seem to spercede anything else.

With regard to families for example, you are entitled as a parent amongst other things to take 2 days leave per month to care for a sick child, and that is on top of your own sick leave allowance and holiday (and you will be paid too!). Many HR departments check with staff at the end of the ax year if they have not used their child sick leave quota to see if they will be using it - it's a great way of getting a few more days off work around Christmas!

Also people only work a 37.5 hour week and nurseries are open 7.30-4.30 (as are schools with pre and after school clubs for children up to 10 years old), which limits the working day to circa 8-4, which employers accept. It's a far cry from the long hours many seem to work elsewhere. So, it is easier here for women to work full time and have a family. However, all is not as easy as it seems. Once in school children have nowhere to go in the school holidays so parents can find that they cannot take a family holiday together as they somehow have to cover 6 weeks of school holiday. Of course once you are 10 there is nowhere to go anyway as you are to old for after school clubs. School days are short here so kids are home by 1 pm and your average parent is home by 4.30/5pm. You can question whether the system really does support families. It is great for when the kids are small but not after.

Of course if you have a supportive partner you can usually juggle things, but there are more and more single parent families who must find the whole thing a struggle even in affluent, socially aware Norway!

Now the debate is turning to kindergardens and whether it is good for children aged one year to be placed in such an environment. Some research suggests that the stress levels shown by young children (under 3 years) in kindregardens is not healthy for future development. It is all to do with the amount of cortisol (stress hormone) produced and how the body copes with it. In fact Norwegian kindergardens are now looking at UK models to improve the way they settle children in, and communicate with parents!

So, in spite of all the hype in my industry (childcare) that Scandinavia had the whole work/life/family ethic balanced, actually that is not the case at all!