ABSTRACT
In 2003 the Norwegian Parliament adopted a legal amendment introducing a 40 percent gender quota to corporate boards of directors in publicly listed companies. In the wake of this initiative gender quotas raised on the political agenda in several European countries, leading to a proposal of a 40 percent objective for listed companies in EU in 2012. However, the EU attempt failed and it has been argued that there is no longer a momentum for gender quota regulations in the EU, despite the persistent male domination in the corporate sector. This chapter explores how the Norwegian policy reform was crafted and framed, and illuminates how momentum for gender equality policies can be created. The chapter contributes to the field of policy transfer and policy learning, and to the literature on gender equality politics in Europe.
