Background
The social composition among members and leaders in the boards of voluntary organisations is significant for both internal democracy and social, economic, and political inclusion, aligning with the UN Sustainable Development Goals No. 5 on gender equality and No. 10 on reduced inequality. It is vital for the legitimacy of organisations that boards include individuals from diverse backgrounds that are also present among the members. For instance, organisations for children and youth should not be governed solely by older board members. Increased diversity in the population's national background after decades of labour immigration and the reception of refugees and asylum seekers creates expectations that boards reflect this composition. Previous research shows that individuals with high social status are often overrepresented among volunteers and board members. Board positions can be an important stepping stone for further community engagement and contribute to inclusion and equal opportunities for influence. It is crucial to analyse changes in the social composition of members and leaders in boards, in relation to changes in the population.
Project Approach
The project will use an anonymised dataset that links individual information on social background from Statistics Norway's registers to people with board positions in the Voluntary Register. The dataset contains information on activity area, organisational form, board position, and personal background details such as immigrant background, gender, age, occupation, income, household, and residence. The existing dataset has information on around 250,000 board members in 70,000 organisations. In the new project, we will develop a new DPIA and order the most updated dataset from 2023. We will compare the social background of organisational members and board representatives and leaders with previous voluntary effort surveys to assess changes in representativeness. We will also conduct detailed analyses of changes in board composition compared to the population. The analyses must account for the significant increase in the number of organisations in the Voluntary Register since its establishment, and not all types of organisations have equally compelling reasons to register. By obtaining information directly from the register and not from the organisations, we are not dependent on accurate contact details.
The project will culminate in a report to be delivered in 2028, providing better knowledge about the participation of individuals with immigrant backgrounds and updated data on changes in the proportion of women in boards, which is part of the Norwegian follow-up of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
