Women in Denmark earn less than the men, revealed new figures from Statistics Denmark.
The statistics agency discovered that woman who are self-employed, normal employees and retirees all had a lower disposable income than their male counterparts in 2012. Unemployed women, however, had a larger disposable income than the men.
The report revealed that the Danish women’s average disposable income last year was 186,000 kroner, around 36,000 kroner less than the figure recorded for men. When comparing just the employed, the difference is even greater, with working women having a disposable income of 241,000 kroner – a full 42,000 kroner less than their male counterparts.
The only category women recorded a higher disposable income was the “unemployed and recipients of social benefits”. The statistics agency explained that this was because females receive more in family and child allowances than men.
Roskilde University Institute of Society and Globalisation lecturer Karen Sjorup said the figures highlight the fact that women need to be paid more. She noted that it’s not because women receive too many benefits; it’s because they get so little out of working.
Sjorup feels that the inequality in Denmark can be reduced by properly evaluating the value of a job. She gave the example of Canada and Sweden, saying that these two countries analyse the skills required for a job before trying to set the wages more accurately.
She added that she is optimistic things can improve, and said best way women can negotiate a better wage is by ensuring they have a proper education.