Why should we mark women's day

Is there still a need for a Women's Day in 2024? Yes, we believe there is.

At Halvorsen & Co As, we mark Women's Day and believe that this day should receive the public attention it deserves. "We've come a long way in Norway and we're good at gender equality compared to many other countries, but progress is too slow and we're not there yet.

In the legal industry, we have a long way to go when it comes to gender equality at the top level. As of now, there are only about 17 % female partners in Norwegian law firms. The industry as a whole and the individual firms must therefore focus on gender equality and dare to think in new ways. Diversity and gender equality create increased value, innovation and a more sustainable working life and must therefore be put on the agenda.

In connection with Women's Day, we asked some of our female employees and our Chairman of the Board, Øyvind Kilstad, whether they think we should continue to celebrate Women's Day in 2024:

Karina Selland, associate:
«I think that as long as there are still big differences between women and men in several important areas, we should continue to mark Women's Day. Women's Day is an opportunity to celebrate diversity and inclusion, and reminds us of the importance of creating a society where everyone, regardless of gender, has equal opportunities to succeed. Marking is important to focus on gender equality and justice - both the historical struggle and as an important reminder for the work that still remains!»

Line Ronander, senior lawyer:
«There are several reasons to mark Women's Day, and I'd like to emphasise two reasons that I think are important.
For the business community, it is important to facilitate women's careers on an equal footing with men, especially in the early childhood phase. This has been a focus area for a few years, but it's something we need to work on continuously.
I would also like to highlight the increase in intimate partner violence as one of the reasons for marking Women's Day. Strengthening the rights of women subjected to violence is something that I hope and believe that we as a society will be able to achieve in the coming years.»

Lene Kathrine Hamborg-Skogvold, administrative manager:
«Women's Day should be celebrated because we are simply not there yet. We have a responsibility to the next generations, both inside and outside our borders - women should have the same rights, security and opportunities as men.»

Maja Simonsen, partner:
«Norway is one of the most gender equal countries in the world. We have achieved a lot, but unfortunately we do not have a gender equal society.
I think it's important to mark Women's Day to raise awareness of how much work remains to be done to ensure equal rights for all. In recent years, we have seen examples of the fight for gender equality going into reverse in some countries. Marking Women's Day is therefore also important to reflect on how far we've come, so that we can protect what we've achieved.»

Øyvind Kilstad, partner and chairman of the board:
«For me, Women's Day is an important celebration of a historical social crossroads in society and is still important to mark in order to equalise unfortunate/unnecessary differences.».

We are over 60% women at Halvorsen & Co As and have a female share of over 40% in our partnership. We work continuously to raise awareness and implement measures to increase gender equality and diversity in our organisation.