Unequal pay and lack of paid parental leave holds women back in the world of work.

That’s the economic reality underpinning a meeting organized by UN Women and the Nordic Council of Ministers which took place at UN Headquarters in September.

Norway began offering paid parental leave to mothers for a full year in the 1980s, and fathers are entitled to 14 weeks.

Since then, participation of women in the workforce has risen from around 45 per cent to nearly 80 per cent.

This economic strengthening is also impacting “children’s social norms because they grow up with both parents being more equal caretakers”.

That’s according to Kristin Skogen Lund, Director General of the Confederation of Norwegian Enterprise, who was one of the panellists.

Ms Lund spoke with Ana Carmo about how parental leave policies had impacted the country.

Duration: 5’51”