– I would have liked to see that there were more of us, says Kristi Pedersen Madsen (H). She is the only mother of young children in the municipal council in Tysnes in Sunnhordland, writes the magazine Tysnes. Next year he is standing as a mayoral candidate in the municipal election. – I’m not going to stand here and pretend it’s not demanding at all. There are of course some logistics that have to be taken care of, but for me being in politics has given more than it has taken energy. Women fell from In August, Une Bastholm resigned as party leader in MDG. She wants more time and surplus for her two little girls. It also seems to be difficult to recruit women with children in municipal councils around the country. New research from Sweden shows that women lose political interest already during pregnancy, writes forskning.no. – Women fell off when they arrived in their late 20s and early 30s. This is the same period in which they often establish families and have children, says senior adviser Annette Solberg at the Equality Center. She is responsible for a new report, which shows that 24 per cent of municipal politicians in Norway are parents of young children, with children under the age of twelve. Kommunal Rapport has written about the report previously. Overall, the number is good, but there are large variations. There are fewer parents of young children the larger the municipality. Half of Fjaler are parents of young children. The Equality Center recommends municipalities to, among other things, schedule more political meetings during the day. It is already common in many municipalities in northern Norway and in Vestland. In Fjaler municipality in Sunnfjord, half of the municipal council representatives have small children, and the political meetings take place during the day. – I think it is quite decisive that we hold the meeting before the kindergartens close, says mayor Kjetil Høgseth Felde (Sp). Only 17 per cent of the representatives are women, but it is clear that the time of the meeting matters to the fathers of young children as well. – If there is a risk that the meeting will go on past 4 p.m., some may point out that they have to go to pick them up from the nursery. Krf politician: – Part of the assessment One of those who has experienced the challenges of being a politician and mother of young children is Rebekka Ljosland. She was a top politician for KrF in Bergen, and already as a 24-year-old she became a city councillor. But in 2019, Ljosland called it quits. She was then 28 years old and had a three-year-old daughter. – Having children was part of a health assessment, but initially it was not the role as a mother of young children that alone was the reason why I wanted to do something else for a period. She believes that it is entirely possible to combine the roles of mother and politician, but that it requires preparation. Among other things, several meetings during the day. – It is important to find a good balance in the composition of the municipal council, and then the mothers of young children must be included. Had triplets as a politician in Bergen In the city council meeting in Bergen, the representatives cannot be counted on to count pick-up from kindergarten. The meeting can last for ten hours, and only eight of 67 representatives are mothers of young children, according to a survey carried out by news. Labor and Inclusion Minister Marte Mjøs Persen (Ap) was already the mother of a 15-year-old and a full-time politician in Bergen when she had triplets in 2012. Three years later she was mayor. – I have sat in on many meetings where I have thought that this is taking too long. I think better organization of a good number of meetings is important. – Mothers of young children have an important perspective in shaping policy. Losing those votes is a major democratic problem, Persen believes. TOP POLITICIAN AND MOTHER OF TRIPLES: Marte Mjøs Persen on a trip to Bergen in 2013, with Jonas Gahr Støre as pram helper. Photo: Privat At Tysnes, Høgre has moved the time for the group meeting an hour later, from 6 to 7 p.m. So that parents like Kristi Pedersen Madsen will have a little more time with their children. – I don’t think I should paint it black. I think there is a great will on the part of the elected representatives to arrange meetings at the times that allow as many people as possible to participate. POSTPONED GROUP MEETING: Tysnes Høgre moved the group meeting from 6 to 7 p.m. following input from parents. Photo: Eli Bjelland / news
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Women lose political interest already during pregnancy – Kristi (25) is in short supply – news Vestland
