NORWEGIAN WOMEN

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22523, 14 September 1936, Page 3

NORWEGIAN WOMEN

PLACE IN STATE SERVICE The desirability of throwing open all positions in the various services of the State to women is again under consideration in Norway. The law (of February 9, 1912) now in force stipu- ) lates that women may be appointed to all offices under the State with the exception of the ministry of the State Church, the King's Council, diplomatic and consular posts, military and civilmilitary positions and "such offices which may bo created hereafter with tho special stipulation that they can only bo held by men." A fresh initiative toward obtaining a revision of the law was taken by the Odelsting early this year, this time aiming at giving women access to all positions under tho State, without exception, even in the Army and the Church, with the motive that, in principle, women should be placed on a basis of complete equality with men before the law. Though there may bo posts for which women are less suited than men, tho promoters of the proposal hold that, once women are granted legal equality, it would bo for the administration to decide, in each case, whether it would be desirable to appoint a man or a woman to the respective post. A committee under the State Department of Justice to which the bill was referred has now submitted its report, which proposes the abolition of the law of 1912, substituting for it a new law giving women access to all positions in the service of the State, on equal terms with men. It is stated i that the matter will be dealt with in Parliament in the near future.