It did, in Scandinavia. When I first became prime minister 15 years ago, it was a cultural shock to many Norwegians. Today, four- year-olds ask their mommies: "but can a man be prime minister?" -Fourth World Conference on Women

Gro Haarlem Brundtland
About This Quote

It did, in Scandinavia. When I first became prime minister 15 years ago, it was a cultural shock to many Norwegians. Today, four- year-olds ask their mommies: "but can a man be prime minister?" The answer is yes. It's true that Norwegians have always had female presidents, but never a female prime minister.

This is not because the country is so progressive - the world's most powerful men are still mostly white and male - but because women have always been underrepresented in Norway's political life. Today, however, that's changing fast, as young girls at school are becoming more self-confident. And Norwegians are taking the challenge of women in politics seriously.

If you want to know how it all started, read this article by journalist Johanna Leknes on the website of the Norwegian broadcaster NRK .

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More Quotes By Gro Haarlem Brundtland
  1. It did, in Scandinavia. When I first became prime minister 15 years ago, it was a cultural shock to many Norwegians. Today, four- year-olds ask their mommies: "but can a man be prime minister?" -Fourth World Conference on Women
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