Equal pay is a problem around the world—even in Sweden which is widely considered to be one of the most progressive and gender-equal countries in the world. According to the World Economic Forum’s 2013 Global Gender Gap report, Sweden ranks fourth globally, but the reality of the gender pay gap in Sweden makes that fourth place finish far less impressive.
Did you know that in Sweden, the gender pay gap has barely closed in the past 30 years?
Did you know that it will take more than 100 years to reach equal pay in Sweden if the current rate of closing that gap continues?
Did you know that the gender pay gap in Sweden equates to women working for free every day after 4:00 while men are paid until 5:00?
Did you know that a woman in Sweden earns a quarter of a million Euro less than a man over the course of a working life?
In an effort to improve the situation for women on a global scale, Kommunal (Sweden’s largest union), launched a creative campaign that highlights just how big the gender pay gap is and suggests that to close the gender pay gap, women have to become men. It’s an absurd idea, and that is exactly why the campaign is generating increased awareness about the absurdity of the gender pay gap.
As part of the campaign, Kommunal Chairman Annelie Nordstrom, gets a makeover to become a man, which you can watch in the video below. Kommunal also launched a mobile app where women across the globe can become men by creating a male version of any photo of themselves. Kommunal is asking people to share the images across the social web on International Women’s Day on Saturday, March 14, 2014. You can follow the link to Be a Man, get the app, and learn all of the details.
The slow road to equal pay for equal work is a problem around the world. Last year marked the 50th anniversary of the Equal Pay Act in the United States, but we’re still a very long way from actually achieving equal pay for equal work. Perhaps highlighting the absurdity of the gender pay gap will motivate more people to question it and to work to close the gap more quickly.
What do you think?
Susan Gunelius
Susan Gunelius is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Women on Business. She is a 30-year veteran of the marketing field and has authored a dozen books about marketing, branding, and social media, including the highly popular Ultimate Guide to Email Marketing, 30-Minute Social Media Marketing, Content Marketing for Dummies, Blogging All-in-One for Dummies and Kick-ass Copywriting in 10 Easy Steps. Susan’s marketing-related content can be found on Entrepreneur.com, Forbes.com, MSNBC.com, BusinessWeek.com, and more. Susan is President & CEO of KeySplash Creative, Inc., a marketing communications company. She has worked in corporate marketing roles and through client relationships with AT&T, HSBC, Citibank, Intuit, The New York Times, Cox Communications, and many more large and small companies around the world. Susan also speaks about marketing, branding and social media at events around the world and is frequently interviewed by television, online, radio, and print media organizations about these topics. She holds an MBA in Management and Strategy and a Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing and is a Certified Professional Career Coach (CPCC).
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This is depressing. That’s because women today are as capable as men when it comes to work. 100 years for equality is far too long. Is this true or do women excel in other industries? I think women can do it better depending on the niche.