Growth in women working full time
The day after Women’s Day, the Minister of Labour and Social Affairs, Anniken Hauglie (Conservatives), presents figures she thinks documents that gender equality has increased on their watch. Many more women work full time for starters.
– The figures show that there is more gender equality in working life under this Government. The development is positive, says Hauglie to NTB.
She shows to that 62,000 more women work full time than before the change of Government in 2013. The proportion of full-time employed women has increased by 4 percentage points in that period. Under the so called red-green Government, the increase from 2008 to 2013 was by comparison 2 percentage points.
– Whoever who were crying wolf and stated that gender equality would be reversed with the Conservatives (Høyre) and the Progress Party (Frp) at the helm, has been proven shamefully wrong, says Hauglie.
She also states that 32,000 fewer mothers work part-time now than before the change in Government in 2013. In addition, the so-called employment gap has been reduced, from a level of around 5 to 4.5. This is the number found when deducting employment of women from that of men.
Easier to work
According to the Minister of Labour, flexible and modern working arrangements make it easier for women to combine work and family life.
– Total kindergarten coverage, free core time and SFO (School Freetime) for families with the lowest income, help provide the possibility for more women to work longer hours, she says.
Development of wages is also moving in the right direction, says the Minister of Labour. The wage gap between men and women does however not seem to be bridged overnight: Women who are employed Full-time now have a salary equivalent to 88.1 per cent of men, against 87.9 per cent in 2013.
At the same time, Norway has moved a few places down to number four on the list of countries in the EU and EEA with highest employment rate among women. In front of Norway is Iceland, Switzerland and Sweden.
More leaders
Hauglie is also pleased by the fact that since 2013 it has been reqruited 31,000 more female leaders in the public and private sectors. By comparison, 24,000 male leaders were recruited during the same period.
The Government platform establishes that the management in state-owned companies, directorates and state agencies must consist of at least 40 per cent of either sex.
– I believe in the power of example, says Hauglie.
She points to that the country’s Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of Finance all are women, that the three parties in the Government are led by women and that the organizations in working life are also dominated by women.
– It shows young women that in Norway there is no limit to how far you can reach, if you are qualified and work hard, she claims.
The fact that women a few years ago bypassed men in the education statistics is another issue Hauglie emphazises. 413,000 women and merely 271,000 men now have a minimum of four years of university or other higher education.
© NTB Scanpix / #Norway Today