Gender Equality
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Court rules Sweden’s pregnancy benefit breaches EU Pregnant Workers directive
Pregnant women do not receive adequate compensation when they cannot work due to risks to their own or their unborn child’s health. So says Sweden’s Labour Court (AD), which recently ruled two municipalities must pay additional wages to two teachers who could not work because of the infection risk during Covid.
2 minutes -
The baby box for all – a proud tradition from when Finland was poor
Every family with a newborn baby in Finland gets a box with everything they need. The state-sponsored welcome is a tradition dating back to a time of scarcity when the box really could save lives. Yet despite the generous gesture, birth rates are falling at an alarming rate in Finland.
10 minutes -
Work and wage levels are obstacles to fathers’ leave
Despite more equal parental leave arrangements in the Nordic countries, it is still mothers who take the largest share of the leave.
5 minutes -
Gender equality in the Nordic region – where are we?
We have been writing about gender equality for decades. Boring? Absolutely not, because it is as relevant as ever. This year, the Nordic Labour Journal’s gender equality barometer shows the road to a gender-equal Nordic region is long. But this is about more than statistics and barometers – it is about individuals’ opportunities and choices.
4 minutes -
Gender equality barometer 2025
Gender equality in the top positions of power in the Nordic region in 2025 remains at a low level in NLJ’s gender equality barometer. Women get 68 points – 100 points mean full equality. But it would be even worse if Iceland did not for the first time in history elect both a female prime…
8 minutes -
Iceland: Equality must be fought in every sector
In Iceland, women are now in a majority in the government coalition, and all three government party leaders are women. Many women also hold major public positions. In general, Iceland is considered one of the most gender-equal countries in the world. Yet despite the good progress, experts say that in many areas, Iceland is a…
8 minutes -
12 recommendations to get more people in vulnerable groups into working life
The need to increase labour market participation among vulnerable groups in the Nordics has long been high on the Nordic Council of Ministers’ agenda. A new report points to flexibility, individually tailored support and cooperation with employers as the key to success. NAV employees in Trondheim are already on the ball.
8 minutes -
Boyhood researcher: “We need to exercise our reading muscle”
There is still work to be done to make Finnish schools more gender equal. An ambitious gender equality programme is needed, believes the Finnish boyhood researcher Harry Lunabba. Both boys and girls would benefit from it. Falling PISA literacy scores can have long-term consequences for pupils.
9 minutes -
Sweden: Gender gap widens in education, economically and politically
Women are significantly more represented in higher education, especially in rural areas – a trend that is repeated in all Nordic countries. It has given many women a better life with higher employment levels and wages. However, the development also shows that men are falling behind.
6 minutes







