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Women still under-represented in Nordic IT despite region’s efforts

This article is part of the CW Nordics issue of November 2017-January 2018
The Nordic countries are often hailed as leaders in gender equality, with Iceland, Finland, Norway and Sweden taking the top four spots in the 2016 Global gender gap report, but the results are not all rosy for the IT industry. Women are still under-represented in Nordic IT – where pay disparity also remains an issue – and Iceland is tackling the problem with the world’s first legislation obliging companies to prove they offer equal pay. Equal pay is stipulated by law in all Nordic countries, but the Icelandic legislative change, which was passed in June 2017, takes this a step further. It requires companies and institutions with 25 or more workers to obtain an equal pay certification to ensure they are fulfilling their requirements. Hrefna Lind Ásgeirsdóttir, vice-president of engineering at Icelandic software firm Meniga, welcomed the new legislation. “I have a hard time believing any company intentionally discriminates based on gender, so the legislation should serve to boost towards fixing these matters,” she said. “I think ...
Features in this issue
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Talent shortage keeps Nordic IT companies focused on job satisfaction
Nordic companies are aiming to win the race for scarce IT professionals through improving the workplace and concentrating on employees’ job satisfaction levels
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Women still under-represented in Nordic IT despite region’s efforts
Although countries in the Nordic region are often hailed as pioneers of digital and equal worker rights, there is still gender inequality in the IT sector.