Norway's materials scientists are cracking the glass ceiling

摘要

Norway, a nation already known for its progressive strides in gender equality, in 2006 enacted a law designed to help women crack one of the most doggedly male-dominated arenas of all: the corporate boards of companies listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange were told to include at least 40% women, or risk being dissolved. Today, eight years on, what has this controversial quota achieved? And how have materials scientists, and the firms they work for, benefited? Mari Teigen, research director at the Centre for Research on Gender Equality in Oslo, is completing a study on the effects of the quota. "There has been a slight positive effect, but there are still very few women in top positions," she says. The law affected around 500 publicly listed companies, with most complying by 2008. Many of these are oil and gas companies, while a few are mining and renewable energy firms, which means that there is a strong contingent of materials scientists and engineers among their workforce.