Finnish minister: more women needed at board level

HELSINKI, June 3 (Reuters) - More women are needed at the board level of companies, and tools like quotas to get them there are necessary for a temporary amount of time, Finland's state ownership minister said on Wednesday.

"Ensuring a more equal representation of women in the top management of companies and boards of directors is our joint challenge, and it can be used to enhance the quality of decision-making," Ownership Steering Minister Jyri Hakamies said in the text of a speech to a seminar.

"A large number of women in the boards of companies should become a natural situation," he said.

Hakamies said qualifications and competence, not gender, are the criteria used for electing people to boards, but tools like quotas are needed during an "intermediate period" like now to ensure a better balance.

He did not give any further details on the topic.

Hakamies' ministry oversees majority and minority stakes in firms including Finnair (FIA1S.HE), Fortum (FUM1V.HE), Neste Oil (NES1V.HE), Rautaruukki (RTRKS.HE), Outokumpu (OUT1V.HE), and Sampo (SAMAS.HE).

(Reporting by Brett Young; editing by Simon Jessop)