Minister of Children, Equality and Social Inclusion

The Minister of Children, Equality and Social Inclusion (Norwegian: Barne-, likestillings- og inkluderingsministeren) is a Councilor of State and Chief of Norway's Ministry of Children, Equality and Social Inclusion. Since 16 October 2013 the position has been held by Solveig Horne of the Progress Party. The ministry is responsible for policy and public operations related consumer rights, family and child affairs, including child protection and issuing of grants for parental leave and child benefits, and to ensure non-discrimination in areas including gender, race and disabilities. Major agencies subordinate to the ministry include the Consumer Council, the Directorate for Children, Youth and Family Affairs and the Equality and Anti-Discrimination Ombud, among others. The minister is deputized by two state secretaries, as of 2013 these are Maria Hoff Aanes and Ronny Røste, both of the Progress Party.

The position was created as the Minister of Families and Consumer Affairs on 1 August 1955 as part of Gerhardsen's Third Cabinet. The Labour Party's Aase Bjerkholt as the inaugural minister. While at first a consultative minister, she received her own ministry on 21 December 1956. Sixteen people from four parties have held the position. It has been a favored position of the Christian Democratic Party, who have held it in all center-right governments they have participated in except during the four weeks of Lyng's Cabinet, when it was hed by Karen Grønn-Hagen of the Centre Party. The minister position was discontinued on 8 May 1972, when the portfolio was transferred to the Minister of Consumer Affairs and Government Administration. The position was recreated under the original name on 16 October 1989 and occupied by Solveig Sollie of the Christian Democratic Party. When her successor Matz Sandman of the Labour Party took over the following year, it was renamed the Minister of Children and Family Affairs. With the appointment of Karita Bekkemellem (Labour) in 2005, the position changed name the Minister of Children and Equality, receiving responsibility for the government's anti-discrimination policies. She would be the first of six ministers during Stoltenberg's Second Cabinet, with the three last representing the Socialist Left Party. With these the position changed to its current name, but lost its responsibilities for kindergartens.

The position has been dominated by females—the only males to hold the position were Matz Sandman (Labour, 1990–91) and Audun Lysbakken (Socialist Left, 2009–12). Manuela Ramin-Osmundsen (Labour) became the first non-white minister of Norway when she was appointment in 2007. Both she and Lysbakken were forced to resign after issued related to cronyism. Two people have held the position twice: Bjerkholdt and Karita Bekkemellem. With a tenure of ten years, Bjerkholdt has held the position the longest.