An ultimatum in Norway....

This is totally outrageous...the merit principle is the only way to hire.

Norway has said it might close down companies that fail to meet proposed boardroom quotas for women.

The new coalition government in Oslo said it was considering introducing a law which would require 40% of boardroom posts to be filled by women.

Norway's previous government drew up the law, which it threatened to apply if companies failed voluntarily to meet minimum quotas by 1 July this year.

Only a fifth of Norway's 590 publicly listed firms comply with the quotas.

"It's not going fast enough," said Karita Bekkemellem, Norway's minister for family and children.

"I don't want to wait 20 or 30 years until sufficiently intelligent men finally appoint women to the boardrooms."

She added: "I wish to establish, from January 1 2006, a system of sanctions which makes it possible to break up companies."