It's interesting that the author doesn't touch upon the xenophobia that Norway (and most Scandinavian countries) have towards non-Scandinavians when comparing Norway to France. France has a rather large cultural inclination towards racism as well as sexism (My family is French, I've seen it first hand) especially against Muslims and other immigrants, a feeling mirrored in Northern Europe. It's fantastic that in Norway men respect women, but large amounts of inequality still exist in the country.
Yes, well racism wasn't the point of the article so I don't think we can blame the author for not bringing that up. Norway is in the top countries for both gender and income equality. Norwegians are concerned with equality almost to a fault (for example, many feel that shopping malls should not have free parking because it costs money for upkeep and it is not fair for people who walk or take the bus to the mall). Norwegians are somewhat xenophobic towards immigrants, especially towards non-white non-Christians. They see incoming immigrants changing the cultural landscape. In a country with few people and a proud heritage, it is easy to see why this would concern Norwegians. It is something that is a big concern and argued about frequently here, an issue which motivated the domestic terrorism act at Utøya two years ago. The author is spot on that Norway is one of the best places to be a woman and one of the best places to have a child.
mike, As someone living in Norway, would you agree that it is "xenophobic?"