Follow Iceland — the first country to make it illegal to pay men more than women
London — Other countries should follow Iceland, which has become the first country to make it illegal to pay men more than women, politicians and equal-rights campaigners said on Wednesday. Iceland has been widely praised for introducing legislation on January 1 that imposes fines on any company or government agency with more than 25 staff without a government certificate demonstrating pay equality. Iceland is the world’s most gender-equal country, according to the World Economic Forum (WEF), which analysed gaps in education, health, economic opportunity and political empowerment. Yemen is the least gender-equal, it found. Here are some facts about the gender pay gap, according to the WEF: • The average pay for women globally is $12,000, compared with $21,000 for men, the WEF said last year, forecasting that women will not earn as much as men for 217 years. • Closing the pay gap could add an extra $250bn to the GDP of Britain; $1,750bn to that of the US; and $2.5-trillion to China’s...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.