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Minister of Children and Families

Minister of Children and Families of Norway
Barne- og familieministeren
Incumbent
Kjersti Toppe
since 14 October 2021
Ministry of Children and Families
Member ofCouncil of State
SeatOslo
NominatorPrime Minister
AppointerMonarch
with approval of Parliament
Term lengthNo fixed length
Constituting instrumentConstitution of Norway
PrecursorMinister of the Interior
Formation1 August 1955
First holderAase Bjerkholt
DeputyState secretaries at the Children, Equality and Social Inclusion
WebsiteOfficial website

The Minister of Children and Families (Norwegian: Barne- og familieministeren,[1] Northern Sami: mánáid- ja bearašministtar) is a Councilor of State and Chief of Norway's Ministry of Children and Family Affairs.[2] Since 14 October 2021, Kjersti Toppe has held the position. The ministry is responsible for policy and public operations related to children, youth and families as well as consumer rights. Major agencies subordinate to the ministry include the Consumer Council and the Directorate for Children, Youth and Family Affairs.[3]

The position was created as the Minister of Families and Consumer Affairs on 1 August 1955 as part of Gerhardsen's Third Cabinet. The Labour Party's Aase Bjerkholt as the inaugural minister. While at first a consultative minister, she received her own ministry on 21 December 1956.[4] Sixteen people from four parties have held the position. It has been a favored position of the Christian Democratic Party, who have held it in all center-right governments they have participated in except during the four weeks of Lyng's Cabinet, when it was held by Karen Grønn-Hagen of the Centre Party. The minister position was discontinued on 8 May 1972, when the portfolio was transferred to the Minister of Consumer Affairs and Government Administration.[5] The position was recreated under the original name on 16 October 1989 and occupied by Solveig Sollie of the Christian Democratic Party.[6] When her successor Matz Sandman of the Labour Party took over the following year, it was renamed the Minister of Children and Family Affairs.[7] With the appointment of Karita Bekkemellem (Labour) in 2005, the position changed name the Minister of Children and Equality, receiving responsibility for the government's anti-discrimination policies. She would be the first of six ministers during Stoltenberg's Second Cabinet, with the three last representing the Socialist Left Party. With these the position changed to its current name, but lost its responsibilities for kindergartens.[8]

The position has been dominated by females—the only males to hold the position were Matz Sandman (Labour, 1990–91), Audun Lysbakken (Socialist Left, 2009–12) and Kjell Ingolf Ropstad (Christian Democratic, 2019–21). Manuela Ramin-Osmundsen (Labour) became the first non-white minister of Norway when she was appointed in 2007.[9] Both she and Lysbakken were forced to resign after issues related to cronyism.[10] Two people have held the position twice: Bjerkholdt and Karita Bekkemellem. With a tenure of ten years, Bjerkholdt has held the position the longest.

  1. ^ "Samferdselsminister Magnhild Meltveit Kleppa". Government.no. 20 October 2009. Retrieved 25 June 2010.
  2. ^ "Erna Solberg's Government". Government.no. 16 October 2013. Retrieved 23 October 2013.
  3. ^ "About the ministry". Government.no. Archived from the original on 14 March 2012. Retrieved 23 March 2012.
  4. ^ "Einar Gerhardsen's Third Government". Government.no. 12 December 2006. Archived from the original on 29 March 2012. Retrieved 23 March 2012.
  5. ^ "Trygve Bratteli's First Government". Government.no. 12 December 2006. Archived from the original on 9 October 2012. Retrieved 23 March 2012.
  6. ^ "Jan Syse's Government". Government.no. 12 December 2006. Archived from the original on 5 October 2012. Retrieved 23 March 2012.
  7. ^ "Gro Harlem Brundtland's Third Government". Government.no. 12 December 2006. Archived from the original on 3 October 2012. Retrieved 23 March 2012.
  8. ^ "Jens Stoltenberg's Second Government". Government.no. 15 February 2008. Retrieved 22 May 2010.
  9. ^ "Children's minister quits under fire". Aftenposten. 14 February 2008. Archived from the original on 16 April 2008.
  10. ^ Løset, Kjetil (April 2012). "Exit fra Regjeringen" (in Norwegian). TV2. Retrieved 16 April 2012.
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