Letter: Gender lesson

Sir: I read with interest the address given by Kjell Magne Bondevik, the Norwegian Prime Minister, to a gender conference in Oslo on the subject of men, their problems, their continued value, their many different roles in society and the surprising fact that we "lack a good deal of knowledge about the everyday life of men" (Podium, 17 November).

His talk was thoughtful, fresh, relevant and genuinely compassionate.

I was saddened to compare and contrast this with the dated mutterings of Baroness Jay and the Women's Unit, where girls are still the only issue. Perhaps this is an example of where, on sex equality at least, new Labour could learn something from old Norway.

EDWARD CRABTREE

Leicester