[Iceland will be the first country in the world to make employers prove they offer equal pay regardless of gender, ethnicity, sexuality or nationality, the Nordic nation's government said Wednesday — International Women's Day. The government said it will introduce legislation to parliament this month, requiring all employers with more than 25 staff members to obtain certification to prove they give equal pay for work of equal value.]
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2017/03/08/iceland-require-firms-prove-equal-pay/98906702/ Iceland becomes the first country in the world to make employers prove they offer equal pay AP Published 1:42 p.m. ET March 8, 2017 | Updated 21 hours ago [Video: A major move towards equality in the workforce could be all thanks to a country of less than 1 million people. Nathan Rousseau Smith (@fantasticmrnate) explains. Buzz60] LONDON (AP) — ***Iceland will be the first country in the world to make employers prove they offer equal pay regardless of gender, ethnicity, sexuality or nationality, the Nordic nation's government said Wednesday — International Women's Day.*** [Emphasis added.] ***The government said it will introduce legislation to parliament this month, requiring all employers with more than 25 staff members to obtain certification to prove they give equal pay for work of equal value.*** [Emphasis added.] While other countries, and the U.S. state of Minnesota, have equal-salary certificate policies, Iceland is thought to be the first to make it mandatory for both private and public firms. The North Atlantic island nation, which has a population of about 330,000, wants to eradicate the gender pay gap by 2022. Social Affairs and Equality Minister Thorsteinn Viglundsson said "the time is right to do something radical about this issue." "Equal rights are human rights," he said. "We need to make sure that men and women enjoy equal opportunity in the workplace. It is our responsibility to take every measure to achieve that." Iceland has been ranked the best country in the world for gender equality by the World Economic Forum, but Icelandic women still earn, on average, 14 to 18% less than men. In October thousands of Icelandic women left work at 2:38 p.m. and demonstrated outside parliament to protest the gender pay gap. Women's rights groups calculate that after that time each day, women are working for free. International Women's Day around the world Fullscreen Women attend a rally at Washington Square Park, part Women attend a rally at Washington Square Park, part of International Women's Strike NYC in New York. Kathy Willens, AP Fullscreen Women attend a rally at Washington Square Park, part1 of 42 Women's March co-organizer Linda Sarsour, left, and Women hold up signs as they attend A Day Without a Elizabeth Rabanal and Nania Rabanal, 3, cheer at the Women shout slogans as they hold a large banner during Participants carry signs during the International Women's Crowds stand on a fountain during the International Sonia Sheron performs onstage during a rally to mark Women cheer as they attend a rally to mark International Kelly A. Helton, 12, of Union, Ky., makes a speech A drum circle forms during a rally for International Participants hold signs and cheer during a rally in A woman takes part in a march to celebrate International Overflow crowd stand on a fountain during the International Women take part the "Ni Una Menos" march for International Carnegie Mellon University art majors, from left, Maya Participants cheer during a rally in front of Los Angeles Mana Jennings, 93, right, of Denver, holds up a placard Liberian female soldiers of the Armed Forces of Liberia People gather for a rally and march marking International Women flash victory signs during a demonstration as Organizers from CHANGE, the Center for Health and Gender An activist takes part in a march to celebrate International A few hundred people gather in Washington to mark International Women attend a protest rally marking the International Women from Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia walk First lady Melania Trump arrives in the State Dining An activist waits to protest the Trump administration Women shout slogans and hold banners as they demonstrate A woman strikes a pose in front of a statue titled Women hang a pink flag from a light post during a demonstration Women attend a protest for International Women's Day Protesters against President Trump celebrate International Kenya's Maasai women dance as they welcome United Nations A Kosovo feminist supporters take part in a rally for A woman places a tulip and a personal message in front Ukrainian's take part in a march marking of the 40th Participants hold candles and placards against President Participants hold candles and placards against President Ukrainian women take part in a march marking of the Yemeni women attend a rally marking the International Flowers are put out in the street as part of "Polish Next Slide 42 Photos International Women's Day around the world The new legislation is expected to be approved by Iceland's parliament because it has support from both the center-right government and opposition lawmakers. The government hopes to implement it by 2020. Iceland has introduced other measures to boost women's equality, including quotas for female participation on government committees and corporate boards. Such measures have proven controversial in some countries, but have wide support across Iceland's political spectrum. Viglundsson said some people had argued the equal-pay law imposes unneeded bureaucracy on firms, and is not necessary because the pay gap is closing. "It is a burden to put on companies to have to comply with a law like this," he acknowledged. "But we put such burdens on companies all the time when it comes to auditing your annual accounts or turning in your tax report. "You have to dare to take new steps, to be bold in the fight against injustice." -- Peace Is Doable -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Green Youth Movement" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. 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