INTERNATIONAL POLICY ANALYSIS Women on Board The Norwegian Experience AAGOTH STORVIK AND MARI TEIGEN June 2010 ࡯ Norway was the first country to introduce a quota for women on company boards. Since its introduction in 2003, the number of»women on board« has reached 40 per cent as required by law. ࡯ In several European countries, Germany being one of them, a debate has begun on how to increase the number of women in leading positions in business. The question of whether or not quota legislation is needed to reach this goal is highly contested. ࡯ The Norwegian experience reveals that a quota is the key to a successful implemen­tation. Not only does it create the pressure needed for fundamental change but it also triggers a public debate at the core of which are questions of gender equality in wider society.