For decades, women have fought for the basic right to equal pay as men. Despite the fact that there has been progress in this regard, the wage gap continues to harm women around the world. According to data from the World Economic Forum, women receive an average of $9,000 less than men for the same hours of work.. According to the same organization, closing the wage gap will be a difficult task, but countries like Iceland they are already doing it.
Iceland has become the first country in the world to guarantee equal pay for women and men.
Since 2018, for an Icelandic woman to be paid less than a man it is considered a crime Before the Law. The measure had been announced the previous year in the framework of International Women’s Day as part of legislation that seeks to completely eradicate the gap by 2022. Currently, Icelandic companies are required to certify that their employees receive the same pay than their peers; on the contrary, they are subjected to fines of 350 euros per day.
This Nordic nation has an impeccable record on gender issues: has topped the World Economic Forum’s gender equality list for 9 consecutive years. The report measures gender equity by evaluating aspects such as economic opportunities, empowerment, and women’s health indices in each country.
The admirable execution of plans to end gender discrimination may be related to the percentage of women in Iceland’s parliament. 50% of its delegates are women and the commitment to guarantee their rights unites even the political parties in opposition.
Mexico, for its part, is 48 positions below Iceland in this rankingreflecting a wage gap that still divides both genders by 30%, according to reports The Economist. This indicates that in all the entities of the country, the highest salaries on average continue to be received by men.
It seems that Iceland understands well the importance of closing the pay gap, which is not for less: half of the world’s population is made up of women. The fact that they receive equal pay to their peers benefits the development of all world economies equally.
Interested in reading the World Economic Forum report on gender equality? Download it in Spanish here.
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