Equality in Isolated Labour Markets: Equal opportunities for men and women in geographically isolated labour markets in Læsø (DK), Suðuroy (FO), and Narsaq (GL)

Gender Inequalities in Tech-driven Research and Innovation

“…Rurality has often been described in dualistic terms, associated with a strong gender divide in primary industries (Brandth, 2016) and traditional and 'patriarchal' gender norms (Forsberg, 2001), different from urban communities associated with more progressive gender norms (Pristed Nielsen et al, 2020). Rurality is, however, not a uniform concept, and diversification of livelihoods can be found in advanced rural regions (Vidickienė, 2017).…”

“…ICT and digitalization are considered important catalysts for innovation and economic growth in such regions, often tied to an assumption that increased use of ICT will reduce the significance of geography (Grip, 2020). Rural regions in Norway have high out-migration (Heleniak and Gassen, 2020) reflecting the 'mobility imperative for rural youth' (Farrugia, 2016: 836): young people's rural to urban migration in search of education and work opportunities (Pristed Nielsen et al, 2020). In some places, young women leave at a higher rate than men.…”

“…'Being rooted' in and feeling belonging for a place has been associated with empowerment because it gives access to social resources and networks (Pristed Nielsen et al, 2020: 18). This points to the importance of not only looking at labour and economic activities when studying women's experience of ICT work in a rural region, but also being aware of how other factors affect their work experience (Bryden and Hart, 2004;Pristed Nielsen et al, 2020).…”

“…The often static image of the rural emanating from these polarized narratives contributes to a notion of gender as universal and stable in rural areas (Little, 2014). Gender relations and gender roles are, however, constantly negotiated and changing, including in rural communities (Pristed Nielsen et al, 2020). Although details of 'rurality' include different features globally, the rural region in focus here, western Norway, shares some general features of western rural communities such as low density in population, small settlements and long internal regional distances.…”

“…Within this context we explore how experiences of rurality are entangled in the professional-life narratives of 25 women working in ICT in this region. The analysis is based on a notion of gender as a social construction and entangled with ICT, work and rurality, combined with a perspective emphasizing the importance of material as well as immaterial factors for understanding development in rural regions (Bryden and Hart, 2004;Pristed Nielsen et al, 2020).…”