Scandinavian companies have steadily increased the number of women in the boardrooms since introducing quota legislation. But although this kind of policy has dramatic results, corporations need to encourage a deeper and more lasting change within their ranks.

Stereotypical beliefs contribute to the gender gap.

The second bi-annual EuropeanPWN BoardWomen monitor 2006, published by the European professional women's network, shows that top Scandinavian companies have steadily increased the number of women in the boardrooms since introducing quotas and other proactive policies into their systems.

Although, with the exception of Scandinavia, Europe lags behind the USA and Canada, Norway is the leader worldwide, with 28.88 percent of top companies having a woman in the boardroom, compared to 22 percent when the survey was first carried out two years ago.

Norway's success can be traced to the obligatory 40 percent quota of women in boardrooms imposed by the government on publicly listed companies. These companies, approximately 500 in Norway, are required to reach the 40 percent quota by the end of 2007 or be de-listed.

Sweden follows Norway with 22.8 percent of leading companies having a woman on the board and Finland with 20 percent and Denmark with 17.9 percent are close behind.

Scandinavian countries have now moved well beyond tokenism and serve as best practice for the world, which shows that "Legislation with teeth works," says Mary van der Boon, President of the EPWN Women's international Network Amsterdam (WIN).

In an interview with the Financial Times, Hilde Myrberg, one of the two women on the executive management team of Norwegian industrial conglomerate Orkla, said that many business women felt the implications of the sanctions against not fulfilling the quotas were "drastic", but they like the fact that the threat is working.

Before setting quotas, to help pave the way, the Norwegian Confederation of Industry's programme Female Future brought in training and networking not only to increase the proportion of women in boards of directors but in management in general.

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