Torild Skard facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Torild Skard MP
Torild Skard speaking in the Storting in 2011
Member of the Storting
In office 1 October 1973 – 30 September 1977
Constituency	Akershus
President of the Lagting
In office 9 October 1973 – 30 September 1977
Vice President	Egil Aarvik
Preceded by	Egil Aarvik
Succeeded by	Margit Tøsdal
Director for Questions relating to the Status of Women of UNESCO
In office 1984–1986
Regional Director for West and Central Africa at UNICEF
In office 1994–1998
Preceded by	Stanislas Adotevi
Succeeded by	Rima Salah
Chairman of the UNICEF Executive Board
In office 1988–1989
Preceded by	Makoto Taniguchi
Succeeded by	Margarita Dieguez
29th president of the Norwegian Association for Women's Rights
In office 2006–2013
Preceded by	Berit Kvæven
Succeeded by	Margunn Bjørnholt
Personal details
Born	(1936-11-29) 29 November 1936 (age 88) Oslo, Norway
Political party	Socialist Left
Spouses	Berge Furre (m. 1962; div. 1965) Kåre Øistein Hansen (m. 1994–2012; his death)
Parents	Sigmund Skard Åse Gruda Skard
Profession	Psychologist
Committees	Standing Committee on Justice (deputy chair)

Torild Skard (born 29 November 1936) is a famous Norwegian psychologist and politician. She has worked for the Socialist Left Party. She also held important jobs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. She was even the chairman of UNICEF, a global organization helping children.

Skard is known as a leader in Norwegian feminism. Feminism is about making sure women and men have equal rights and opportunities. She has written books about women in leadership and about development in Africa.

Early Life and Education

Torild Skard was born in Oslo, Norway, on 29 November 1936. Her parents were both professors. Her father was Sigmund Skard and her mother was Åse Gruda Skard.

From 1942 to 1945, Torild went to school in Washington, D.C., USA. Her family lived there because of the German occupation of Norway during World War II. After the war, they returned to Norway.

She finished her high school education in Oslo in 1954. She then studied in Paris and Oslo. In 1962, she earned a degree from the University of Oslo. She studied French, education, and sociology.

Torild Skard continued her studies and became an approved psychologist in 1975. She also worked as a lecturer at different universities. She taught at the State Teacher Training College for Special Education and the University of Tromsø.

A Career in Politics

Torild Skard started her political journey with the Labour Party. However, she later helped create the Socialist People's Party in 1961. This new party had different ideas about Norway's foreign policy.

In 1971, she was elected to the city council in Oslo. This was an important step in her political career.

Serving in Parliament

From 1973 to 1977, Torild Skard was a Member of Parliament for Akershus. This means she was elected to represent the people of Akershus in Norway's main government body, the Parliament of Norway.

During this time, she made history. She became the first woman to be the President of the Lagting. The Lagting was the Upper House of the Norwegian Parliament. She also served as the deputy chair of the Standing Committee on Justice. This committee deals with laws and legal matters.

She represented Norway at the UN General Assembly in 1974. She was also a delegate for Norway at the World Conference for the International Women's Year in 1975. These roles showed her growing influence in international affairs.

Working for Global Change

Torild Skard has held many important international roles. She worked to improve the lives of women and children worldwide.

Helping Women at UNESCO

From 1984 to 1986, Skard was a director at UNESCO in Paris. Her job was to focus on "Questions relating to the Status of Women." This meant she worked on projects and policies to improve women's rights and opportunities around the world.

Leading at UNICEF

Skard also had a significant impact at UNICEF, the United Nations Children's Fund. UNICEF works to protect children's rights and help them survive and thrive.

• From 1988 to 1989, she was the Chairman of the international UNICEF Executive Board. This was a very important leadership role.
• From 1994 to 1998, she was the Regional Director for West and Central Africa at UNICEF. She worked from Abidjan, helping children in many African countries.

Work in Foreign Affairs

Skard also worked in the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. She was a deputy under-secretary of state. She was the first woman to hold such a high position in this ministry. Her work focused on development cooperation, helping other countries grow and improve.

Championing Women's Rights

Torild Skard is a strong advocate for women's rights. She has dedicated much of her life to this cause.

Leading the Norwegian Association for Women's Rights

From 2006 to 2013, Skard was the president of the Norwegian Association for Women's Rights (NKF). This organization works to promote gender equality in Norway. During her time as president, she worked to make sure women had equal chances in society.

She also served as the deputy chair of the Forum for Women and Development (FOKUS). This group also works on women's rights and development issues.

Books and Ideas

Skard has written several important books.

• Continent of Mothers, Continent of Hope (2003) is about development in Africa.
• Women of Power (2014) looks at female leaders around the world, like presidents and prime ministers. These books share her knowledge and ideas about women's roles in society and global development.

Honours and Recognition

Torild Skard has received many awards for her important work.

• In 1998, she was made a Commander of the National Order of the Lion of Senegal. This is a high honour from the country of Senegal.
• In 2012, she became a Commander of the Order of St. Olav of Norway. This is one of Norway's highest awards.
• In 2013, a newspaper called Verdens Gang named her one of the "100 most important women" in Norwegian history.
• In 2014, she was made an honorary member of the Norwegian Association for Women's Rights.

A painting of Torild Skard is displayed in the Parliament of Norway Building. This shows how important she is to Norwegian history.

Images for kids

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  Torild Skard (left) with Margunn Bjørnholt in Geneva in 2014.