Norwegian Pay Gap: Minister Challenges Gender Inequality

A Norwegian government report reveals a persistent 13% gender pay gap mirroring EU figures. Culture and Equality Minister Lubna Jaffery deems it unacceptable, highlighting similar work, different wages. Despite longer education, women face wage disparity. Efforts continue amidst global trends of widening gaps.

The Norwegian government published a report on Thursday revealing that men earn, on average, 13% more than women in Norway, a figure that mirrors the situation in the European Union, albeit the country is not a member. The report, spearheaded by the Ministry of Culture and Equality, scrutinizes the wage disparities from 2015 to 2022.

Norwegian Culture and Equality Minister Lubna Jaffery expressed her dissatisfaction with the findings, stating, "I find it completely unacceptable that women and men who have the same job, the same experience, and the same competence, end up with different salaries." The report revealed that women with identical qualifications in similar roles earn 8% less, while an additional decrease is evident for those with the same titles and employers.

Further investigation highlighted by the Institute for Social Research pointed toward differing sectors and educational paths contributing to the gap. Although women in Norway boast longer education periods than men, they often end up in lower-paid fields, widening the wage gap even in an egalitarian society.

(With inputs from agencies.)