Sweden holds gender integration as a national priority. Parental leave from a job amounts to 16 months with pay, and government agencies (such as "Ministry of Integration and Gender Equality") exist to level the playing field for women.
But the question for feminists might be why the United States, with somewhat fewer gender equalization regulations, seems to be ahead of Sweden, the U.K., Germany, and others "when it comes to closing the gender gap in “economic participation and opportunity," (information from the World Economic Forum, Global Gender Gap Report 2012).
"Though the United States has fewer women in the workforce (68 percent compared to Sweden’s 77 percent), American women who choose to be employed are far more likely to work full-time and to hold high-level jobs as managers or professionals. They also own more businesses, launch more start-ups, and more often work in traditionally male fields. As for breaking the glass ceiling in business, American women are well in the lead . ." (from the article, "Lessons from a Feminist Paradise on Equal Pay Day")
Some recent studies offer explanations that could surprise you -- or not -- in the next post.
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