Norway pays man 117,000 dollars for gender discrimination

OSLO, May 4 (Reuters) A Norwegian man has won compensation after he was passed over to become a judge in favour of a less qualified woman, marking one of the first anti-discrimination settlements to favour men in this equality-conscious nation.

The 117,300 dollars settlement was reached after the country's anti-discrimination agency ruled for Rune Baar Hansen, who had complained his application to become a judge in Oslo was rejected because of his gender.

The job was given to a younger woman state prosecutor.

''There is an apology in the settlement,'' Justice Ministry department director Anne Herse told daily newspaper Aftenposten.

Norway has long been at the forefront of promoting women's rights and by law women must make up at least 40 per cent of the directors on boards of joint stock companies.

Hansen, who would have preferred to be given the position instead of compensation, said Norway needed to avoid discriminating against men when fighting for equality between the sexes.

''It's important that we don't make up for a 1,000 years of oversight by letting the pendulum swing too far the other way,'' Hansen was quoted as saying by the daily.

Reuters SM DB2115