Statistics from 1993 show that 72 per cent of mothers with small children between the ages of 0 and 2 years are employed. There has been enormous growth at both middle and higher education levels in Norway since 1975, largely due to the rising number of women seeking education. Women account for 52 and 55 per cent of the total number of students enrolled at Norwegian universities and colleges today. Although the Norwegian education sector and labour market remain strongly divided by gender, it is clear that women are gaining a stronger foothold in many educational programmes. This trend can be expected to have an impact on traditional gender divisions in the labour market, increasing the number of women in jobs traditionally dominated by men.
Higher education makes it possible for women to enter into research.
Although the percentage of women recruited into research is still small, women are starting to make headway. In 1991, women comprised 38 per cent of the new researchers hired at institutions. In 1980, only 10 per cent of those pursuing a doctoral degree were women, whereas by 1991 this figure had increased to 21 per cent. However, in the past 10-20 years, many women have achieved positions of high status in the research community, in women's studies and many other fields. The importance of gaining political power has been emphasised not only by the women's movement but also by the research community.