Gender Equality in Iceland – IMF Finance & Development Magazine | March 2019
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Bibliographic details
- Authors: Katrin Jakobsdottir
- Published: March 1, 2019
Context and framing
- Policymakers are shifting focus from raw GDP-driven measurements toward well-being criteria when judging economic success.
- Iceland has made gender equality a core part of its domestic and foreign policies, linking progressive social justice policies to economic performance.
- The campaign for women’s equality in Iceland has combined legislative changes (sexual and reproductive freedoms), robust equality laws, and gender quotas for corporate boards with social-policy interventions.
Family-friendly policies implemented
- Universal childcare and shared parental leave are central policy instruments.
- Icelandic parental leave model (funded by government and businesses):
- Three months of leave to each parent.
- An additional three months that can be divided between the parents however they choose.
- The model has been implemented in stages since 2000.
- Publicly funded, high-quality day care now starts at the age of two, with gaps largely covered by subsidized childminders.
- Nordic shared parental leave schemes include a "use-it-or-lose-it" portion for both parents (including same-sex couples and adoptive parents).
- The government intends to extend the current entitlement further and to close gaps between parental leave and public day care provision.
Economic and social impacts observed
- The combination of universal childcare and shared parental leave has:
- Transformed Icelandic society and boosted the economy.
- Shifted norms so families consider parental duties and care the equal responsibility of both parents.
- Enabled fathers to form better relationships with their children.
- Undermined the argument that women cannot be hired or promoted because they will “drop out” of the labor market.
- Labor market participation and unemployment:
- Women’s labor force participation is around 80 percent.
- Men’s labor force participation is 87 percent.
- The unemployment rate is 2.9 percent.
- The extensive economic activity of all genders is identified as a key ingredient in Iceland’s economy.
Persistent challenges and limitations
- The gender pay gap still exists.
- Jobs typically held by women remain undervalued and underpaid.
- The labor market remains far too gender-segregated.
- Violence and harassment have not been eradicated.
- Children continue to be subjected to gender stereotypes.
- Full equality of rights and opportunities has not been achieved despite progress.
Analytical points and normative stance
- Conventional economic dualism (expenses vs. investment) undervalues social infrastructure compared with physical infrastructure.
- Social infrastructure (education, childcare, health care) is essential and complementary to physical infrastructure for societal development.
- High childcare costs force mothers in lower-income groups to choose between family and work, perpetuating the gender pay gap.
- Family-friendly policies should be seen as integral to building a society where everyone can flourish, not as luxuries or profligate public spending.
Policy implications and recommendations
- Continue expanding universal childcare and shared parental leave, including further entitlement extensions and aligning leave with public day care provision.
- Treat social infrastructure spending as investment in societal capacity and economic inclusion, not merely operating costs.
- Promote ideological vision, political struggle, and coordinated action by governments, businesses, and social groups to advance gender equality.
- Forge ahead with progressive economic policies that challenge stereotypes about costs and benefits and prioritize gender equality within a broader well-being and sustainability agenda (including participation in the group of Wellbeing Economy Governments).
Source: Gender Equality in Iceland — IMF Finance & Development Magazine | March 2019
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