Gender equality gap should close in Denmark

It was on the 100th anniversary of International Women’s Day that Denmark was been given an overwhelming thumbs-down on the issue of gender equality by the Danish Institute for Human Rights (IMR). Such was done mainly because of the salary gap of almost 20 percent still existing between the women and men in Denmark. The neighbor Norway, on the other hand, was seen progressing on the issue.

Susanne Nour, centre leader and equal opportunities expert at IMR, said on Tuesday that not much gender equality change has occurred in the field of salaries, management positions and political representation in the last decade.

‘It’s like as if we in the last 10 years have thought gender equality will take care of itself. But the structures, systems and practical details will not change by themselves. Gender equality requires will, prioritization and constant pressure,’ said Nour.

Denmark is ranked quite well internationally for gender equality, but has made no moves to close the gap with its other Nordic neighbors, which maintain the top four spots in the Global Gender Gap Report from the World Economic Forum.

Iceland, Finland, Norway and Sweden lead the field in the latest 2009 report from the WEF, while Denmark lagged slightly behind in seventh place.

The Danes have held a top 10 position for a number of years, but according to the report there is still a way to go before catching up with Nordic neighbors, who have closed over 80 percent of the gender gap.

Meanwhile, Denmark has had a salary gap between men and women of at least 20 percent for the last ten years and according to Nour, things need to change if the country is to excel among the Nordics.

‘We have to achieve the heights of our neighbouring countries, not least so Danish business life, company boards and the Danish society in general can reach its full potential for both men and women,’ she said.

The European Commission is using the 100th anniversary of the first international women’s conference, which was held in Copenhagen, to draw attention to the gender gap in salaries. And Denmark itself did not escape attention, as the commission lamented that the salary gap here had been reduced to almost 12 percent in the late 1990s, but has since widened again.