Tasks: The Gender Pay Gap

Discuss

1. The text 'The Gender Pay Gap' points out that women often choose low-paid jobs (e.g. nurse instead of engineer). Why do you think women often choose these jobs when they know that the pay is lower?

2. What is the motherhood penalty? In your opinion, how can we reduce this penalty?

3. Do you think women in Norway on average are doing more unpaid work at home (chores, childcare ...) than men?

4. Is it fair of an employer to ask a woman during a job interview if she is planning on having children in the near future? Why / why not?

5. What are the positive and negative consequences of introducing mandatory paternity leave? Consider the consequences for the mother, the father, the workplace, and society at large.

6. What is meant by a more flexible working environment? Give examples. How can this benefit both women and men? And the workplace?

7. Why is pay transparency so important? Do you think the lack of transparency is a problem in Norway?

8. Could women do more to narrow the pay gap or is this the responsibility of employers and the government?

Find out

Do some research and find information about the issues raised by the following questions. Then share your answers in class.

1. Find out about the disparity between male and female attendance at Norwegian universities. How has the numbers changed over the last decades? Find similar information about the United States and the United Kingdom and compare your findings.

2. Which countries in the world do not provide paid maternity leave? Are you surprised by the results you find?

3. Two metaphorical expressions are often used to explain why women struggle to reach the same pay as men: glass ceiling and sticky floor. What do these two expressions actually mean? Do you think they explain the gender pay gap in an adequate way?

Reading statistics

Find out more about gender pay gap in OECD countries.

1. According to the data, what is the average gender wage gap in OECD countries?

2. How does Norway compare to the OECD average?

3. How do countries like the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada compare to the OECD average?

4. Are there any countries that surprise you in a positive or a negative way?

Podcast/film

Work together in pairs. Make a podcast or a film where you discuss the following:

• the causes of the gender pay gap (child birth, education, and job choice, implicit bias...)

• the consequences of the gender pay gap (for the women, the family, the companies where they work, and society as a whole)

• the solutions to the gender pay gap (What could women do? What should the workplace do? What should the government do?)

Research the topic and take notes before you start. Make sure that you can document your findings using statistics and trustworthy sources.
Discuss and have fun.

Write

1. Write a letter to the editor where you express your views on – and possible solutions to – the gender pay gap.

2. Write an argumentative text where you discuss the advantages and disadvantages of offering maternity and paternity leave to new parents.

3. Write an expository text where you compare two English speaking countries, using the following indicators:

   • gender pay gap

   • motherhood penalty

   • legal rights for new mothers and fathers

   • gender pension gap

Watch

Watch the TED-Talk 'Why Paterniy Leave Benefits Everyone' by the Japanese author Shu Matsuo.

Sum up Matsuo's main arguments for why paternity leave is important.