Splendid Isolation? On How a Non-member Is Affected by—And Affects—EU Gender Equality Policy

Abstract

Although not a member of the European Union (EU), Norway is deeply affected by European integration, not least owing to its participation, since 1994, in the European Economic Area (EEA) Agreement which made Norway a full participant in EU's internal market. Norway's commitments to the EEA also apply to the area of gender equality policy. Yet, a comprehensive public inquiry report (NOU 2012:2) on the consequences of Norway's affiliation status concluded that EEA commitments and other EU agreements had limited impact on the scope and content of actual policy making in the gender area not least because Norwegian regulatory schemes quite easily could fulfil/ expand on EU "minimum standards". This chapter will critically examine this claim through a discussion of EU influences on four core gender equality policy themes: antidiscrimination law, work-life balance, gender mainstreaming, and gender quotas for corporate boards. Applying the familiar distinction between top down and bottom up Europeanisation the chapter also draws on recent research by the authors on the uses of EU in Norwegian expert recommendations on gender equality policy. The chapter concludes with a re-assessment of how affiliation status has been shown to be relevant to policy development in this area.

Egalitarian inequality: Gender equality and pattern bargaining

“…The aim of this article is to study the dynamics of the persisting gender pay gap in a highly segmented labor market, where the portion of feminized work remains valued lower than those dominated by men with comparable levels of education. Drawing on previous literature (Koskinen Sandberg & Saari, 2019; Saari et al., 2019; Skjeie et al., 2019; Skjeie & Teigen, 2003; Teigen & Skjeie, 2017), this article introduces the concept of egalitarian inequality . This concept encapsulates the acknowledgment but also abdication (Danieli, 2006) of the gendered nature of the Norwegian wage formation system displayed in the official commission reports in question.…”

“…Building on earlier scholarship (Skjeie et al., 2019; Skjeie & Teigen, 2003; Teigen & Skjeie, 2017), this article introduces the concept of egalitarian inequality . The concept refers to how feminized work receives less pay than work in male‐dominated sectors with comparable levels of qualifications.…”

Successful Public Policy in the Nordic Countries

“…In Norway, public debate and policymaking to advance gender equality have been characterized by a strong belief that gender equality can be purposefully stimulated by government action. The dominant gender equality policy tradition in Norway has prioritized building family-oriented welfare state policies through publicly financed childcare facilities and generous parental leave schemes and the promotion of gender balance norms through quotas and various forms of preferential treatment (Skjeie and Teigen 2012;Skjeie et al 2019). An expanded concept of gender equality drove the development of the Norwegian Gender Equality Act, which from its enactment in 1978 has both established the principle of prohibition of discrimination on the grounds of sex and at the same time opened up differential treatment aimed at promoting gender equality.…”

The Making and Circulation of Nordic Models, Ideas and Images

“…Nordic gender-equality policies comprise mainly of three pillars: genderequality legislation, family-friendly welfare-state policies, and gender-quota policies (Skjeie et al, 2019). In 1978, Norway passed probably the world's first gender-equality act.…”

“…The directive was aimed at securing membership of at least 40% for the underrepresented gender on the boards of through public undertakings by 2018 and all publicly listed companies by 2020. The EU parliament passed the directive, but it did not get support from a majority in the EU Commission (Inderhaug, 2019;Skjeie et al, 2019). 13…”