The Nordic TheGender Nordic Effect Genderat Work Effect atNordic Work briefs on parental leave, childcare, flexible work arrangements, leadership and Nordic experiences on parental leave, childcare,equal flexible opportunities work arrangements, at work leadership and equal opportunities at work #nordicsolutions to global challenges 1 The Nordic Gender Effect at Work Nordic experiences on parental leave, childcare, flexible work arrangements, leadership and equal opportunities at work Nordic Information on Gender (NIKK) Nord 2019:058 978-92-893-6413-3 (PDF) 978-92-893-6414-0 (EPUB) http://doi.org/10.6027/NO2019-058 © Nordic Council of Ministers 2019 Layout: Mette Agger Tang Infographics: Essensen Nordic co-operation Nordic co-operation is one of the world’s most extensive forms of regional collaboration, involving Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, the Faroe Islands, Greenland, and Åland. Nordic co-operation has firm traditions in politics, the economy, and culture. It plays an important role in European and international collaboration, and aims at creating a strong Nordic community in a strong Europe. Nordic co-operation seeks to safeguard Nordic and regional interests and principles in the global community. Shared Nordic values help the region solidify its position as one of the world’s most innovative and competitive. Nordic Council of Ministers Nordens Hus Ved Stranden 18 DK-1061 Copenhagen www.norden.org Download Nordic publications at www.norden.org/nordpub PHOTO: SCANPIX.DK 4 Introduction ” Promoting gender equality at work is not only the right thing to do, but the smart thing to do. 5 Investments in gender equality in the labour market have made the Nordic region one of the most prosperous areas of the world. The share of women who work in the Nordic countries is larger than the global average, which is partly the effect of commitments to equal workplaces, subsidised childcare and generous parental leave. With The Nordic Gender Effect at Work briefs, the Nordic region seeks to share its collective experience in promoting gender equality at work, and enable more knowledge sharing and progress towards the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Briefs 09 Introduction 17 Subsidised childcare for all 27 Shared and paid parental leave 35 Flexible work arrangements 43 Leadership and equal opportunities at work 52 Sources 55 About 7 PHOTO: UNSPLASH.COM PHOTO: 8 Introduction Introduction A large share of the world’s women remain excluded from the labour market. In fact only half of all women participate in the global labour force, compared to three quarters of men. And there are wide regional variations. The employment rate for women in the Nordic region stands out globally at 73.5 per cent. When it comes to care responsibilities, the uneven and remain united by a proactive and wide-ranging sharing between women and men, compounded policy platform on promoting equality between by absence of maternity protection and affordable women and men. childcare, is a big driver of gender inequalities in the labour market the world over. In the Europe- Solutions for parental leave, childcare, flexible an Union, a region with relatively high wages and work arrangements and equal opportunities in labour force participation for women, working men the workplace have not evolved organically. The spend less than half as many hours on housework Nordic countries’ favourable position interna- as working women. tionally in relation to these issues is the result of targeted policies by governments, backed up by Globally, women earn approximately 84.4 per well-organised civil society organisations and a cent of what men earn. Women are far more private sector that also benefits from social trust likely to be in low-wage jobs, and often in the in- and equality. formal economy. The International Labour Orga- nization (ILO) has noted that, at the current rate, Over time these models and measures have been pay equity between women and men will not be key to progress on gender equality in the world of achieved until 2086. The pace of change is simply work. The most visible result is that the majori- too slow. These inequalities constitute serious ty of women in the Nordic countries are in paid barriers to women’s economic empowerment, employment, almost on a par with men. Nordic and indeed to international development at large. efforts have also led to a more gender-equal It is economically inefficient and ultimately costly distribution of power, influence and resources in for companies and countries alike. In order for the the region, from politics to businesses. This is “the world to progress socially and economically – so Nordic Gender Effect”. as to fulfil the overriding 2030 Agenda objective of leaving no one behind – the entire population Despite the strong and consistent focus on and its collective talents must be utilised. gender equality in the Nordic countries, gender inequalities do persist. The Nordic countries are grappling with high levels of occupational segre- Together we are stronger gation in the labour market – both vertically and The Nordic countries have collaborated in promoting horizontally – as well as a substantial gender pay gender equality for over 40 years. Each of the Nordic gap that is narrowing far too slowly. The region countries has extensive experience in advancing does not have all the answers, and in a number of initiatives and legislation that facilitate gender areas (occupational segregation being a case in equality in the labour market. While there are differ- point) countries in other regions are performing ences between the countries, the Nordics have been better. 9 As part of the Nordic ambition to contribute to better conditions emerged. Trade unions grew the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Devel- stronger by joining forces and they soon began to opment, both globally and at home, the Nordic break new ground. Consensus building through prime ministers have launched “The Nordic Gender collective bargaining between trade unions and Effect at Work” initiative. It is closely linked to the employers began to result in better working con- UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (hereafter ditions. SDGs), which are to be achieved by 2030, and in particular the goals and targets concerning Around the same time, the Nordic women’s gender equality and the empowerment of wom- movements started to grow, advocating for en and girls (SDG5) and economic growth and equal rights regardless of gender, and they decent work for all (SDG8). This series of briefs have paved the way for current levels of gender describes how the Nordic welfare model and equality in the region. As similar issues were solutions to ensure women’s participation in the discussed and pursued across the Nordic region, Nordic labour markets came about, and it seeks the national women’s movements could benefit to further the international debate on gender from each other’s successes and develop their equality and serve as a basis for our common argumentation and negotiation skills. Both the efforts towards the SDGs. Nordic women’s movements and the trade unions started collaborating early. Support was also of- Historical overview and key milestones fered by some Nordic political parties in pursuing progressive legislative reforms, the most notable The Nordic countries are known to be economi- being the right to vote – achieved in all five coun- cally strong welfare states with well-developed tries between 1906 and 1919. social protection systems and high standards of living. However, just 100 years ago, this was not Women’s economic independence the case. Like much of nineteenth century Europe, the Nordic countries had been involved in several The issue of women’s economic empowerment wars and have a long history of poverty and epi- and independence was discussed at different lev- demics. Large changes came in the wake of the els of society in the Nordic region throughout the Industrial Revolution, which created a large wor- 20th century. Chief among the political reforms king class with poor working conditions and long were the new marriage laws, introduced in the working hours. Child labour was common. During 1920s. The laws removed men’s guardianship of the second half of the 19th century, trade unions their wives and gave married women full rights were formed and a labour movement fighting for to own property. This, alongside the right to vote, Nordic cooperation Includes Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway together through a number of ministerial and Sweden as well as the Faroe Islands, councils. The framework also includes the Greenland and Åland. The formalised co- Nordic Council, which is the main forum for operation between the Nordic countries is elected parliamentarians to collaborate. considered one of the most extensive regional collaborations in the world. The ministerial council that covers the policy area of gender equality, namely the Nordic The official cooperation takes place within the Council of Ministers for Gender Equality. framework of the Nordic Council of Ministers, (MR-JÄM), has worked together for more than where the governments work 45 years. 10 Introduction was one of the most important issues to the other countries and began introducing policies women’s movements. In effect, it removed the last that would increase women’s participation in the male advantage in family law. At the same time, labour force more forcefully. In Iceland, married however, women typically had to stop working women also entered the labour market in the when they got married. It was a commonly held 1960–70s, joining the unmarried women who view that it was unnecessary for married wom- were already in paid employment. The situa- en to work, as there was a risk they would push tion was different in Finland at the time, where men out of the labour market. In 1939, Sweden a large share of women were already working became the first European country to forbid em- full time.