In Norway one in three university and university college rectors are women – an increase of 75 per cent in two years. All the same, we are having a hard time catching up with our Swedish neighbours, who, thanks to network building, are close to achieving full balance between the sexes.

In a new memo requested by the Ministry of Education and Research, the Committee for Mainstreaming - Women in Science recommends active use of gender quotas and earmarking of permanent and temporary positions for female scientists.

The Committee for Mainstreaming – Women in Science has looked at the need for a collaborative effort to build networks for female scientists in Norway. The pilot project found that there was an interest in strengthening and co-ordinating the networks.

The world will be a better place if more girls become engineers, says Camilla Schreiner. She does research on the connection between gender and choosing a career within the Natural Sciences.

The Ministry of Education and Research is requesting the KiF Committee to prepare models ensuring women employment in academic positions in male dominated fields. This autumn, the Ministry will announce the measures the various institutions can make use of.

The Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) and the University of Tromsø (UiT) share this year’s Award for Gender Equality, worth two million Norwegian kroner. "I do hope this will inspire more people to work for gender equality," Tora Aasland, minister of Research and Higher Education said during the award-giving ceremony.

The gender equality aspect was missing in the first national evaluation of the Quality Reform. This is evident in the government report on the reform.