Happy Women's Day!
On 8 March we mark International Women's Day. Norway is among the best in the world when it comes to gender equality - also in working life. But despite increased awareness and more regulation, there are still differences between women's and men's income and career patterns.
Gender equality in Norwegian working life
The Norwegian Equality and Anti-Discrimination Act places a general ban on gender discrimination in the workplace. The ban applies to all aspects of the conditions of employment, including employment and promotion, skills development, and the determination of pay and working conditions. Nevertheless, surveys show that women and men still do not rank equally. Women had an average 12.4 per cent lower income than men in 2022.
Part of the reason for the disparity is that the labor market is divided by gender - Norwegian women and men are relatively traditional in their career choices. More women still work in low-paid occupations, part-time and in the public sector. But studies show that women on average also earn less than men employed to do the same job.
The Parliament’s work for gender equality has been intensified in recent years. According to the Equality and Anti-Discrimination Act, all employers are subject to a general duty of activity related to equality. For public and larger private enterprises, stricter requirements have been introduced, which came into force from 2020.
Such businesses have a duty to map the risk of discrimination and barriers to equality in their own operation, justify the reasons for the findings and implement suitable measures. Among other things, they are required to have an overview of gender distribution at position level, carry out equal pay surveys (every two years) and publish annual equality reports. The purpose is to promote equal pay in practice.
In the EU, too, there is a focus on the issue of equal pay. In 2021, the European Commission put forward a proposal for an equal pay directive with the aim of promoting increased transparency and fairer pay conditions. Among other things, it has been proposed that employers must document that unequal pay is not related to gender, and that employees should be able to claim compensation under specific conditions. At an overall level, the directive operates with the same intentions and objectives as the Norwegian rules that came into force in 2020.
Involuntary part-time as an equality challenge
A significant factor for the wage differences in Norway is the use of part-time work. In 2021, 37 per cent of female employees worked part-time. This is more than double the proportion of men, with 17 per cent. The salary level for part-time positions is also lower in many places than for full-time positions. For many women, part-time work is a voluntary adjustment to working life. But it cannot be ignored that involuntary part-time is a widespread situation in both the public and private sectors.
On the legislative side, efforts have therefore been made in recent years to reduce involuntary part-time in working life. As part of the stricter activity and reporting obligation, public and larger private employers have been required to map how widespread involuntary part-time work is in the workplace.
On 1 January 2023, a full-time norm was also enacted into law in the Working Environment Act, which will strengthen the right to a full-time position. Employers who wish to use part-time instead of full-time must now document the need and discuss the matter with employee representatives. Furthermore, part-time employees' preferential right to increase the employment percentage has been strengthened.
Continued work for better balance
Norway is, together with the other Nordic countries, among the best countries in the world when it comes to gender equality (Gender Equality Index). However, there is still a way to go. If full gender equality is to be achieved in working life, the work must therefore continue - both at the societal level and the individual workplace.
Because gender equality is not just a political headline or fad. Systematic work with equality and diversity can provide important benefits for the business, such as reduced absenteeism, lower turnover, and increased efficiency. A natural starting point in this work will be to regularly review the equality situation in the workplace, create good leave arrangements and create a culture for real equality at various levels in the business.
