Norway's firms face gender law

NORWAY is about to smash the glass ceiling for women in the workplace with a sweeping new law.

From next week, firms must employ 40 per cent of female boardroom directors – or face being shut down.

At 37 per cent, Norway already has the highest number of female boardroom executives in the world. The UK has 28 per cent, according to a report out earlier this month, but only 11 per cent in the top FTSE 350 companies.

Many Norwegian firms say they will not meet the quota deadline set for Monday and will have to shut until women get the posts once reserved for men.

A team of bureaucrats in Oslo has been tasked with keeping tabs on companies in the weeks and months ahead to make sure the ratio is being constantly increased to the required levels.

The law was passed by a previous government in 2003 with the deadline set for New Year's Day 2008. In that time, the percentage of female board members has jumped from 6 per cent to the current level.