A Norwegian ombudsman on gender equality says utilizing the power of women is "the key to the development of a modern society."
"A modern society cannot function without taking in women's power," Kristin Mile, deputy to Norway's Gender Equality Ombudsman, said in an interview during a recent visit to Japan at the invitation of the House of Councilors and civic groups.
She said giving women more freedom to choose jobs as well as creating conditions that make it easier for them to combine working and child-rearing would halt the slide in Japan's birthrate.