1 00:00:00,320 --> 00:00:03,000 Speaker 1: Brought to you by the reinvented two thousand twelve Camray. 2 00:00:03,240 --> 00:00:10,000 Speaker 1: It's ready. Are you welcome to stuff mom never told you? 3 00:00:10,200 --> 00:00:17,479 Speaker 1: From house stuff Works dot Com. Hello, and welcome to 4 00:00:17,480 --> 00:00:20,760 Speaker 1: the podcast. This is Molly and I'm Kristin. Kristen. If 5 00:00:20,760 --> 00:00:22,400 Speaker 1: you could go anywhere in the world right now, whe 6 00:00:22,400 --> 00:00:24,880 Speaker 1: would you go? Oh? My god? And was prepared for this. 7 00:00:25,960 --> 00:00:27,720 Speaker 1: If I could go anywhere in the world right now, 8 00:00:27,760 --> 00:00:32,560 Speaker 1: I'd go back to bed. Oh, Kristen, you're so cool. Ever, well, 9 00:00:32,600 --> 00:00:36,760 Speaker 1: I'm taking you on a special trip today via our 10 00:00:36,880 --> 00:00:41,760 Speaker 1: podcast to Norway. Can we fly first class? It's the 11 00:00:41,760 --> 00:00:44,559 Speaker 1: best for you, Kristin, only the best. And once we 12 00:00:44,640 --> 00:00:48,400 Speaker 1: get to Norway and other um parts of Scandinavian, the 13 00:00:48,440 --> 00:00:51,680 Speaker 1: Nordic and the Nordic countries, we will be treated first 14 00:00:51,680 --> 00:00:55,680 Speaker 1: class all the time, because apparently that area of the 15 00:00:55,720 --> 00:00:59,240 Speaker 1: world is just the top of the line when it 16 00:00:59,320 --> 00:01:03,959 Speaker 1: comes to gender equality. Yeah, supposedly, Norway, Sweden, denmorek these 17 00:01:03,960 --> 00:01:08,400 Speaker 1: are just the havens for women right there. These indexes 18 00:01:08,440 --> 00:01:10,920 Speaker 1: that come out every year, these countries always topped the 19 00:01:10,959 --> 00:01:14,920 Speaker 1: list of countries that have achieved equality, who have closed 20 00:01:14,959 --> 00:01:20,319 Speaker 1: gender gaps, who have you know, women in powerful positions. Uh, 21 00:01:20,400 --> 00:01:22,199 Speaker 1: all these all these factors we're going to talk about 22 00:01:22,200 --> 00:01:25,680 Speaker 1: today because you see these stories pretty often. Now, like 23 00:01:26,200 --> 00:01:28,240 Speaker 1: you want gender equality, you go to Norway, you go 24 00:01:28,280 --> 00:01:32,000 Speaker 1: to Sweden, and we want to know why is Scandinavia 25 00:01:32,280 --> 00:01:35,520 Speaker 1: so frequently cited as one of the best places for women? Right? Because, 26 00:01:35,560 --> 00:01:38,320 Speaker 1: for instance, the World Economic Forum comes out every year 27 00:01:38,360 --> 00:01:42,760 Speaker 1: with its Gender Gap Index that analyzes countries across the 28 00:01:42,760 --> 00:01:46,040 Speaker 1: world in terms of gender equality the state of you know, 29 00:01:46,080 --> 00:01:49,920 Speaker 1: men and women comparatively in the nation. And uh, last year, 30 00:01:50,640 --> 00:01:53,040 Speaker 1: like many years, like you said, Molly, in the gender 31 00:01:53,080 --> 00:01:59,320 Speaker 1: Gap Index, we have number one Norway, followed by Finland, Sweden, Iceland, 32 00:02:00,120 --> 00:02:02,120 Speaker 1: US doesn't even rank in the top two US as 33 00:02:02,120 --> 00:02:06,080 Speaker 1: a joke. So we have to find out. We have 34 00:02:06,120 --> 00:02:07,880 Speaker 1: to find out what we're lacking. And some of the 35 00:02:07,880 --> 00:02:12,320 Speaker 1: factors that this index takes into account economic participation, educational attainment, 36 00:02:12,320 --> 00:02:16,320 Speaker 1: political empowerment, and health and survival. Now, Molly, before we 37 00:02:16,360 --> 00:02:21,000 Speaker 1: go any further, the titles podcast is why is Scandinavia 38 00:02:21,480 --> 00:02:23,280 Speaker 1: so great for women? But you wanted to make a 39 00:02:23,280 --> 00:02:27,800 Speaker 1: little bit of a geographical footnote before we got uh 40 00:02:28,000 --> 00:02:31,079 Speaker 1: some emails saying hey, hey, girls, you need to look 41 00:02:31,120 --> 00:02:33,920 Speaker 1: at a map sometime. Right the countries that we're going 42 00:02:33,960 --> 00:02:36,720 Speaker 1: to be throwing out there in terms of fun facts 43 00:02:36,760 --> 00:02:41,919 Speaker 1: for women are Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, and Iceland all 44 00:02:42,000 --> 00:02:45,400 Speaker 1: up together, all considered the Nordic Country Nordic dream Team. 45 00:02:45,639 --> 00:02:48,079 Speaker 1: But we are well aware that if you are talking 46 00:02:48,160 --> 00:02:52,760 Speaker 1: strictly Scandinavia, it's just Norway and Sweden and sometimes Finland, 47 00:02:52,800 --> 00:02:55,919 Speaker 1: which is like the sometimes why of the value vowels. 48 00:02:55,960 --> 00:02:58,919 Speaker 1: So we're just taking a little bit of podcast license, 49 00:02:59,080 --> 00:03:02,200 Speaker 1: if you will, um, because we thought Scandinavia just sounded 50 00:03:02,200 --> 00:03:08,000 Speaker 1: better than Nordic Peninsula gender dream Team. True, and uh, 51 00:03:08,160 --> 00:03:10,399 Speaker 1: let's get started with the dream team now. I think 52 00:03:10,440 --> 00:03:12,160 Speaker 1: that if you're going to have an m v P 53 00:03:12,320 --> 00:03:14,440 Speaker 1: on the dream Team, it's gotta be Norway. It's gotta 54 00:03:14,440 --> 00:03:15,959 Speaker 1: be Norway. I mean because not only m v P, 55 00:03:16,080 --> 00:03:18,600 Speaker 1: but also kind of most improved, because at first Sweden 56 00:03:19,000 --> 00:03:21,720 Speaker 1: was really leading the pack, but Norway, man, they just 57 00:03:22,639 --> 00:03:26,480 Speaker 1: really climbed to the top. And I think that you know, 58 00:03:26,760 --> 00:03:28,799 Speaker 1: as soon as you start doing searches for why is 59 00:03:28,840 --> 00:03:32,560 Speaker 1: Norway good for women, you come across the maternity leave policies, 60 00:03:32,560 --> 00:03:34,800 Speaker 1: So why don't we dive just straight into that now. 61 00:03:34,840 --> 00:03:38,000 Speaker 1: Norway got a lot of headlines earlier this year when 62 00:03:38,040 --> 00:03:42,920 Speaker 1: it topped Save the Children's annual Mother's Index that basically 63 00:03:42,960 --> 00:03:45,640 Speaker 1: breaks down the best places in the world to be 64 00:03:46,160 --> 00:03:49,640 Speaker 1: a mother and loan behold, Norway is apparently it, ladies, 65 00:03:49,680 --> 00:03:50,920 Speaker 1: if you want to if you want to have a 66 00:03:50,920 --> 00:03:57,000 Speaker 1: baby or ten whatever, go to Norway and well, specifically, 67 00:03:57,080 --> 00:03:59,440 Speaker 1: I think if you want to have a baby and 68 00:03:59,520 --> 00:04:02,560 Speaker 1: a career at the same time, because what they're really 69 00:04:02,640 --> 00:04:07,240 Speaker 1: leading the pack on is they're extravagant, especially to US standards, 70 00:04:07,240 --> 00:04:10,600 Speaker 1: maternity leave plan and you know, it's not just for women. 71 00:04:11,320 --> 00:04:14,080 Speaker 1: Dads have ten weeks in there that they can take 72 00:04:14,120 --> 00:04:17,120 Speaker 1: as well and think, and some of that time is mandatory, 73 00:04:17,200 --> 00:04:19,359 Speaker 1: like if if the dad doesn't take it, then the 74 00:04:19,400 --> 00:04:21,520 Speaker 1: mom can't use it. Some of that time can be 75 00:04:21,560 --> 00:04:23,520 Speaker 1: split between the two of them, but some of it 76 00:04:23,640 --> 00:04:26,360 Speaker 1: is mandatory dad time, which I think is really cool. 77 00:04:26,400 --> 00:04:28,320 Speaker 1: I think that as we go through and you know, 78 00:04:28,400 --> 00:04:30,960 Speaker 1: investigate all these different factors further, I think that that's 79 00:04:31,000 --> 00:04:34,320 Speaker 1: sort of the best example of how you can bring 80 00:04:34,400 --> 00:04:36,839 Speaker 1: up the cause of women without leaving the men behind, 81 00:04:37,080 --> 00:04:39,560 Speaker 1: right because we have to remember we're talking about gender 82 00:04:39,920 --> 00:04:44,680 Speaker 1: equality rather than you know, women being um kind of 83 00:04:44,680 --> 00:04:48,200 Speaker 1: put into the power positions at the detriment of men, right, 84 00:04:48,360 --> 00:04:50,760 Speaker 1: christ and I don't have the exact numbers in front 85 00:04:50,760 --> 00:04:52,159 Speaker 1: of me, but before we go on, while don't you, 86 00:04:52,320 --> 00:04:55,279 Speaker 1: why don't you lay out the exact deal that mothers 87 00:04:55,279 --> 00:04:58,279 Speaker 1: in Norway gap. So this is coming from Statistics Norway, 88 00:04:58,440 --> 00:05:01,200 Speaker 1: straight from the sore and this is the this is 89 00:05:01,240 --> 00:05:04,520 Speaker 1: the deal you get if you have a kid in Norway. 90 00:05:04,839 --> 00:05:09,680 Speaker 1: Check this out, Molly, forty six weeks with full pay. 91 00:05:09,760 --> 00:05:13,960 Speaker 1: How does that sound to you? Sounds glorious? Forty six weeks? 92 00:05:14,000 --> 00:05:15,680 Speaker 1: What's the I don't know off the top of my 93 00:05:15,680 --> 00:05:18,640 Speaker 1: head the average maternity leave in the States with like 94 00:05:18,680 --> 00:05:22,680 Speaker 1: six weeks, eight weeks? Like three? Yeah, a weekend, I 95 00:05:22,680 --> 00:05:24,960 Speaker 1: don't know, a long weekend. So you can take up 96 00:05:25,000 --> 00:05:28,039 Speaker 1: to forty six weeks with full pay or fifty six 97 00:05:28,120 --> 00:05:31,760 Speaker 1: weeks at pay. And that's one thing I really do 98 00:05:31,839 --> 00:05:35,760 Speaker 1: like about Norway, Christmas, this broaden definition of what part 99 00:05:35,800 --> 00:05:38,040 Speaker 1: time work can be because I do like that eight 100 00:05:38,160 --> 00:05:40,000 Speaker 1: percent plan. I think that that would make a difference 101 00:05:40,040 --> 00:05:42,240 Speaker 1: to a lot of mothers I know too, to be 102 00:05:42,240 --> 00:05:44,320 Speaker 1: able to view part time not as you know, fifty 103 00:05:44,360 --> 00:05:47,839 Speaker 1: fifty but like eight. Yeah, that one day that you 104 00:05:47,839 --> 00:05:49,320 Speaker 1: don't go to the office for those few hours you 105 00:05:49,440 --> 00:05:52,160 Speaker 1: live early every day, I think can make a big difference. Um, 106 00:05:52,200 --> 00:05:54,880 Speaker 1: so I do see that how bad is a benefit? 107 00:05:54,920 --> 00:05:57,760 Speaker 1: Now we have to say that a lot of the 108 00:05:57,839 --> 00:06:03,080 Speaker 1: articles about scandinamy countries you focus on these maternal lead policies. Yeah, 109 00:06:03,120 --> 00:06:05,560 Speaker 1: it always goes back to maternity and paternity leave. I 110 00:06:05,600 --> 00:06:07,840 Speaker 1: mean that's becoming a bigger issue as well. It's not 111 00:06:07,920 --> 00:06:11,120 Speaker 1: just the fact that they're extending this benefit for women, 112 00:06:11,160 --> 00:06:14,640 Speaker 1: but it's also you know, men who are getting acknowledged 113 00:06:14,760 --> 00:06:18,400 Speaker 1: as playing the active role in parenting, which I think 114 00:06:18,440 --> 00:06:22,240 Speaker 1: speaks to general equality and those kind of ideas and 115 00:06:22,279 --> 00:06:24,920 Speaker 1: in their society of the fact that it's recognized that, yeah, 116 00:06:25,200 --> 00:06:27,479 Speaker 1: the woman is having a child. But there is a 117 00:06:27,520 --> 00:06:31,360 Speaker 1: second half to this equation. But what about women who 118 00:06:31,480 --> 00:06:35,039 Speaker 1: aren't going to have children? Because while this is a 119 00:06:35,040 --> 00:06:38,480 Speaker 1: great policy for parents, you know, I feel like that's 120 00:06:38,520 --> 00:06:41,320 Speaker 1: the most defining policy we've been able to find so 121 00:06:41,480 --> 00:06:45,200 Speaker 1: far that you know, you get this great material leave, 122 00:06:45,240 --> 00:06:47,880 Speaker 1: you get paternal leave, were so equal and giving um 123 00:06:47,920 --> 00:06:51,560 Speaker 1: these benefits for children, But women who have children are 124 00:06:51,560 --> 00:06:54,599 Speaker 1: not the only women that hopefully would have gender equality 125 00:06:55,000 --> 00:06:59,039 Speaker 1: within a country. And so I think that that is 126 00:06:59,120 --> 00:07:01,640 Speaker 1: what first started to maybe raise our antenna a little 127 00:07:01,680 --> 00:07:04,799 Speaker 1: bit about whether this is truly a great place for women. 128 00:07:04,920 --> 00:07:08,080 Speaker 1: Let's let's investigate a little further. Okay, I want to 129 00:07:08,120 --> 00:07:12,880 Speaker 1: go to um women in power at businesses because this 130 00:07:12,920 --> 00:07:15,200 Speaker 1: is a pretty interesting thing. We've talked about quotas before 131 00:07:15,440 --> 00:07:20,080 Speaker 1: and whether they work well. Norway has enforced quotas that 132 00:07:20,320 --> 00:07:26,040 Speaker 1: um of a company's board of the biggest companies that 133 00:07:26,040 --> 00:07:30,480 Speaker 1: are operating in that country must include women, and if 134 00:07:30,480 --> 00:07:32,360 Speaker 1: they didn't include that, they were gonna be closed down 135 00:07:32,480 --> 00:07:35,760 Speaker 1: by the gender equality mud. There's a whole position in 136 00:07:35,800 --> 00:07:39,120 Speaker 1: the government who's just voted to enforcing equality. So in 137 00:07:39,200 --> 00:07:42,880 Speaker 1: Norway passed this legislation, which I might add was a 138 00:07:43,160 --> 00:07:46,000 Speaker 1: I was initiated by a male politician and actually was 139 00:07:46,040 --> 00:07:48,080 Speaker 1: not a woman who was saying, hey, let's get more 140 00:07:48,120 --> 00:07:50,440 Speaker 1: women on the boards because they thought it would be 141 00:07:50,560 --> 00:07:53,840 Speaker 1: a good thing for business. Because kind of like when 142 00:07:53,840 --> 00:07:58,400 Speaker 1: we were talking about gender quotas for political positions that 143 00:07:58,520 --> 00:08:00,720 Speaker 1: a lot of countries have adopted, it's sort of the 144 00:08:00,760 --> 00:08:05,040 Speaker 1: same thinking that you know, a group of men and 145 00:08:05,160 --> 00:08:07,520 Speaker 1: women sitting together in a room will come to a 146 00:08:07,520 --> 00:08:09,920 Speaker 1: better decision than just a group of men or even 147 00:08:09,960 --> 00:08:12,320 Speaker 1: just a group of women, you know, kind of that 148 00:08:12,320 --> 00:08:16,160 Speaker 1: whole collective ideal thing. And so uh so they get 149 00:08:16,200 --> 00:08:18,920 Speaker 1: all these women on the boards, and at first some 150 00:08:19,040 --> 00:08:21,600 Speaker 1: of the companies were saying, hey, you know what, this 151 00:08:21,640 --> 00:08:25,120 Speaker 1: isn't gonna happen because there aren't qualified women out there. 152 00:08:25,320 --> 00:08:29,600 Speaker 1: Well lo and behold not. So they actually had plenty 153 00:08:29,600 --> 00:08:33,400 Speaker 1: of women to choose from once they actually started looking, 154 00:08:33,720 --> 00:08:36,920 Speaker 1: okay um, and so a lot of these companies are 155 00:08:36,960 --> 00:08:40,600 Speaker 1: fulfilled the quota now then, I think a couple of 156 00:08:40,640 --> 00:08:43,400 Speaker 1: years ago, the study came out from the University of Michigan, 157 00:08:44,080 --> 00:08:46,520 Speaker 1: and the headline that was grabbed from it and was 158 00:08:46,559 --> 00:08:53,120 Speaker 1: circulated pretty widely throughout popular media was that the quote 159 00:08:53,200 --> 00:08:56,280 Speaker 1: the gender quota for Norway's boards had had a negative 160 00:08:56,360 --> 00:08:59,480 Speaker 1: financial impact on the companies that bring these women on. 161 00:08:59,600 --> 00:09:04,559 Speaker 1: Trying to institute gender equality hurt the bottom line, right. 162 00:09:04,640 --> 00:09:08,040 Speaker 1: The researchers kind of teased out what the effect of 163 00:09:08,080 --> 00:09:11,520 Speaker 1: the actual announcement was on the company. And some companies 164 00:09:11,559 --> 00:09:13,800 Speaker 1: that should be mentioned had already met the quota. They 165 00:09:13,800 --> 00:09:17,520 Speaker 1: already had very gender diverse boards, and these companies did 166 00:09:17,520 --> 00:09:20,959 Speaker 1: not feel the effect of a drop in stock price 167 00:09:21,240 --> 00:09:24,080 Speaker 1: of a market ripple. That these companies that were going 168 00:09:24,120 --> 00:09:27,480 Speaker 1: to have to enforce the equality did feel. These companies 169 00:09:27,520 --> 00:09:31,160 Speaker 1: did experience a bump, But the researchers took pains to 170 00:09:31,480 --> 00:09:35,240 Speaker 1: emphasize that that was just the announcement of the new law. 171 00:09:35,400 --> 00:09:37,199 Speaker 1: It wasn't you know, it wasn't once they put the 172 00:09:37,240 --> 00:09:40,040 Speaker 1: woman on um And that's what that's part of what 173 00:09:40,160 --> 00:09:43,439 Speaker 1: got distorted. Yeah, it got distorted so much actually that um, 174 00:09:43,480 --> 00:09:45,800 Speaker 1: we went back and found an article in Fast Company 175 00:09:45,840 --> 00:09:51,320 Speaker 1: magazine where the journalists tracked down the researchers and wanted 176 00:09:51,360 --> 00:09:56,840 Speaker 1: them to clarify their findings because the headline is so sensational, 177 00:09:57,480 --> 00:10:00,720 Speaker 1: um that they really missed the big nuance in it that, hey, 178 00:10:00,760 --> 00:10:04,319 Speaker 1: this wasn't an impact of gender. It was more stockholders 179 00:10:04,320 --> 00:10:07,679 Speaker 1: getting nervous about the experience level because the fact of 180 00:10:07,679 --> 00:10:09,680 Speaker 1: the matter was a lot of the women who were 181 00:10:10,040 --> 00:10:14,439 Speaker 1: taking these board positions did not have CEO level experience 182 00:10:14,520 --> 00:10:16,880 Speaker 1: like a lot of the men might have. But I mean, 183 00:10:16,920 --> 00:10:18,560 Speaker 1: come to the States and it would be you would 184 00:10:18,559 --> 00:10:20,920 Speaker 1: be hard pressed to find an equal amount of men 185 00:10:20,960 --> 00:10:23,360 Speaker 1: and women who have had that sea level experience because 186 00:10:23,360 --> 00:10:25,760 Speaker 1: those doors haven't been opened, so it's like you've got 187 00:10:25,840 --> 00:10:28,320 Speaker 1: to break through the ceiling at some point in order 188 00:10:28,480 --> 00:10:31,960 Speaker 1: to you know, have more women fill fill those ranks. 189 00:10:32,520 --> 00:10:35,160 Speaker 1: And then there was a further criticism of this law 190 00:10:35,280 --> 00:10:37,400 Speaker 1: in that there was a group of seventy women that 191 00:10:37,400 --> 00:10:41,000 Speaker 1: they called the Golden Skirts, and these women were experienced 192 00:10:41,040 --> 00:10:43,920 Speaker 1: that they had, you know, maybe had some experience at 193 00:10:43,960 --> 00:10:46,520 Speaker 1: the CEO level in the past um and there were 194 00:10:46,520 --> 00:10:48,840 Speaker 1: so many women, but they were on three hundred of 195 00:10:48,880 --> 00:10:50,760 Speaker 1: the boards, so that they were doing you know, more 196 00:10:50,800 --> 00:10:52,760 Speaker 1: than one some of them were doing you know, up 197 00:10:52,800 --> 00:10:54,880 Speaker 1: to a dozen. And people were like, how is this 198 00:10:55,120 --> 00:10:57,560 Speaker 1: actually the equality if this small group of women is 199 00:10:57,559 --> 00:11:00,040 Speaker 1: the one that's taking advantage of it. But it's to 200 00:11:00,160 --> 00:11:03,120 Speaker 1: be noted that that's often what men do. Men sit 201 00:11:03,160 --> 00:11:05,800 Speaker 1: on several boards. So I think that, you know, this 202 00:11:05,880 --> 00:11:09,840 Speaker 1: sort of added to my confusion Christen about why Norway 203 00:11:09,920 --> 00:11:13,320 Speaker 1: is still going to be number number one, because even 204 00:11:13,480 --> 00:11:16,120 Speaker 1: despite the fact they've got these force quotas, they said, hey, 205 00:11:16,160 --> 00:11:18,520 Speaker 1: we didn't have any problem filling these roles because there 206 00:11:18,520 --> 00:11:22,079 Speaker 1: are women with this experience. It's still a story in 207 00:11:22,120 --> 00:11:25,439 Speaker 1: that it uh and it was an easy to distort story. 208 00:11:25,760 --> 00:11:27,920 Speaker 1: Um so it still made me wonder, can this really 209 00:11:27,960 --> 00:11:31,839 Speaker 1: be some bastion of gender equality? If if this is 210 00:11:31,920 --> 00:11:34,480 Speaker 1: still a story and not just something that happened and 211 00:11:34,520 --> 00:11:36,800 Speaker 1: we got over it and Norway did just fine because 212 00:11:37,080 --> 00:11:39,839 Speaker 1: Norway's market did you did you just find in fact 213 00:11:39,840 --> 00:11:43,079 Speaker 1: that one of the leading politicians who have been effective 214 00:11:43,120 --> 00:11:45,560 Speaker 1: in bringing this law into place was like, this is 215 00:11:45,559 --> 00:11:48,440 Speaker 1: going to be our main export is gender equality. But 216 00:11:48,760 --> 00:11:50,880 Speaker 1: I mean it was a really controversial export that the 217 00:11:50,880 --> 00:11:52,880 Speaker 1: rest of the world didn't understand and didn't get right 218 00:11:52,920 --> 00:11:55,199 Speaker 1: when they reported on it. Yeah, they didn't get right. Now, 219 00:11:55,200 --> 00:11:58,520 Speaker 1: I think that we should say that other European countries 220 00:11:58,640 --> 00:12:02,959 Speaker 1: have followed in sue um Netherlands in Spain among them, 221 00:12:03,120 --> 00:12:06,200 Speaker 1: but none of them have really enforced it to the 222 00:12:06,280 --> 00:12:10,040 Speaker 1: degree that Norway has. And if we're talking about exporting 223 00:12:10,080 --> 00:12:13,400 Speaker 1: this kind of model, this kind of gender equality model 224 00:12:13,640 --> 00:12:15,960 Speaker 1: on the corporate level, I mean we were talking earlier. 225 00:12:15,960 --> 00:12:17,720 Speaker 1: I mean the big question is could could you take 226 00:12:17,760 --> 00:12:21,960 Speaker 1: it to someplace like, oh, I don't know, the United 227 00:12:22,000 --> 00:12:26,280 Speaker 1: States of America and have it work out? Probably not. Probably. 228 00:12:26,600 --> 00:12:29,480 Speaker 1: We've talked about quotas before, and you know, we've heard 229 00:12:29,480 --> 00:12:31,920 Speaker 1: from your listeners, you don't you don't love the idea. 230 00:12:32,200 --> 00:12:35,800 Speaker 1: And if having quotas is what makes Norway top a 231 00:12:35,880 --> 00:12:40,520 Speaker 1: gender equality index, will the US ever top and index? 232 00:12:41,240 --> 00:12:42,560 Speaker 1: Or can you only get to the top of this 233 00:12:42,600 --> 00:12:45,680 Speaker 1: index through artificial measures? You know? It just it was 234 00:12:45,720 --> 00:12:48,960 Speaker 1: another thing that kind of unwrappled my faith in Norway. 235 00:12:49,000 --> 00:12:51,959 Speaker 1: And I don't want to discouraging Norwegian listeners. I hope 236 00:12:52,000 --> 00:12:54,400 Speaker 1: you right in and explain to me how it's how 237 00:12:54,440 --> 00:12:56,160 Speaker 1: it is actually a great place. But so far I'm 238 00:12:56,160 --> 00:12:58,640 Speaker 1: a little frustrated. Well, yeah, because I think it's this 239 00:12:58,880 --> 00:13:02,080 Speaker 1: too is a product of uh, you know, or a 240 00:13:02,120 --> 00:13:07,280 Speaker 1: reflection of how the media really can can kind of 241 00:13:07,320 --> 00:13:10,920 Speaker 1: grab onto one idea and just it circulates like wildfire. 242 00:13:11,000 --> 00:13:12,880 Speaker 1: You know, if you need, if you need a reference 243 00:13:12,920 --> 00:13:15,920 Speaker 1: point for gender equality, for where things are good for women, 244 00:13:15,960 --> 00:13:19,360 Speaker 1: for where you know maternity leave and paternity paternity leave 245 00:13:19,480 --> 00:13:22,360 Speaker 1: are really great, just go to Norway. Yeah, so it 246 00:13:22,440 --> 00:13:25,080 Speaker 1: just kind of becomes this knee jerk reaction where you 247 00:13:25,120 --> 00:13:30,199 Speaker 1: don't stop and look at the actual statistics behind everything 248 00:13:30,240 --> 00:13:34,959 Speaker 1: and beyond you know, fifty six weeks of paid leave. Um, 249 00:13:35,160 --> 00:13:37,840 Speaker 1: you got to talk about how the media distorts things Kristen, 250 00:13:38,320 --> 00:13:41,800 Speaker 1: Shall we talk about an article that was in Bloomberg. Yes, 251 00:13:41,880 --> 00:13:45,040 Speaker 1: we'll jump countries. We'll go to Sweden Um and the 252 00:13:45,120 --> 00:13:49,760 Speaker 1: headline is Swedish sex equality won't help Mona Solon's election bid. 253 00:13:50,320 --> 00:13:53,080 Speaker 1: And this is an article for some Tymber fifteen two ten, 254 00:13:53,760 --> 00:13:56,880 Speaker 1: and it's the question of whether this woman, Mona Solum 255 00:13:56,920 --> 00:14:00,440 Speaker 1: will become the country's first female prime minister. Now, right 256 00:14:00,480 --> 00:14:02,280 Speaker 1: away the headline kind of grabs me because it says 257 00:14:02,320 --> 00:14:05,360 Speaker 1: Swedish sex equality. So right away, you know, we've got 258 00:14:05,360 --> 00:14:07,960 Speaker 1: this knee jerk reaction that you spoke about that Scandinavia 259 00:14:08,080 --> 00:14:11,760 Speaker 1: equals gender equality, Sweeten, with Sweden leading the pack too 260 00:14:12,040 --> 00:14:14,360 Speaker 1: right behind. They just got just got told by Norway 261 00:14:14,400 --> 00:14:16,679 Speaker 1: in that last poll. And so then the whole article 262 00:14:16,760 --> 00:14:20,520 Speaker 1: is about how Sweden is so you know about Sweden 263 00:14:20,600 --> 00:14:22,680 Speaker 1: just loves equality, but yet they're not going to elect 264 00:14:22,680 --> 00:14:25,200 Speaker 1: this woman to this position of power. And you go 265 00:14:25,280 --> 00:14:29,280 Speaker 1: on and read the article and this woman did nothing wrong. 266 00:14:29,360 --> 00:14:32,240 Speaker 1: Her party is screwed up right now, Sheelie. She's the 267 00:14:32,280 --> 00:14:36,080 Speaker 1: head of the Social Democrats party. So you know, it's 268 00:14:36,120 --> 00:14:39,400 Speaker 1: it's about how they pinned all the problems of this 269 00:14:39,480 --> 00:14:42,280 Speaker 1: party on how on this woman and we're able to 270 00:14:42,280 --> 00:14:44,760 Speaker 1: make it a story because she is a woman. And 271 00:14:44,920 --> 00:14:47,120 Speaker 1: that sort of sounded very reminiscent to me of of 272 00:14:47,200 --> 00:14:50,120 Speaker 1: Hillary Clinton's bid. People were saying, oh, you know, she's 273 00:14:50,120 --> 00:14:52,440 Speaker 1: gonna be elected or not elected based on whether she's 274 00:14:52,440 --> 00:14:55,400 Speaker 1: a woman, when in you know, in reality, she is 275 00:14:55,440 --> 00:14:57,320 Speaker 1: a woman who is running just like a man on 276 00:14:57,400 --> 00:15:00,320 Speaker 1: a policy, on a platform of certain beliefs. And it 277 00:15:00,400 --> 00:15:03,320 Speaker 1: just so happens that Mona Salon's beliefs are in vogue 278 00:15:03,360 --> 00:15:06,440 Speaker 1: in Sweden right now, and yet somehow it's her fault 279 00:15:06,480 --> 00:15:09,600 Speaker 1: because she's a woman, right, And listen to this. The 280 00:15:09,680 --> 00:15:15,560 Speaker 1: Bloomberg says that in interviewing thirty leading social Democrats, they 281 00:15:15,720 --> 00:15:19,880 Speaker 1: said that if Salin steps down and if her party loses, 282 00:15:20,680 --> 00:15:23,480 Speaker 1: then that would make it quote unlikely Sweden will get 283 00:15:23,520 --> 00:15:26,080 Speaker 1: a female leader anytime soon. And they go on to 284 00:15:26,200 --> 00:15:27,960 Speaker 1: quote a guys saying, you know, it is kind of 285 00:15:27,960 --> 00:15:32,360 Speaker 1: paradoxical that we've never had a female prime minister. And 286 00:15:32,440 --> 00:15:35,120 Speaker 1: I mean, yeah, it's having a female president or prime 287 00:15:35,120 --> 00:15:39,000 Speaker 1: minister the absolute and all definition of gender equality. No, 288 00:15:39,480 --> 00:15:42,560 Speaker 1: but yes, Sweden, it is a little paradoxical. And you're right, 289 00:15:42,600 --> 00:15:45,080 Speaker 1: you know that it is being twisted into you know, 290 00:15:45,120 --> 00:15:50,400 Speaker 1: it's not the Social Democrats failing, it's this woman politician failing. Yeah. 291 00:15:50,400 --> 00:15:52,360 Speaker 1: This is another quote from a calmness in a Swedish 292 00:15:52,440 --> 00:15:54,920 Speaker 1: newspaper who said it's clear the party needs a makeover 293 00:15:55,040 --> 00:15:57,360 Speaker 1: and Salin hasn't managed to do that. She simply gets 294 00:15:57,360 --> 00:15:59,880 Speaker 1: the blame for the party's long running crisis. So the 295 00:16:00,000 --> 00:16:01,760 Speaker 1: area is in a long running crisis. But yet the 296 00:16:01,760 --> 00:16:04,640 Speaker 1: headline is about how gender equality is not going to 297 00:16:04,720 --> 00:16:07,640 Speaker 1: help this woman get elected. So it's it's I and 298 00:16:07,760 --> 00:16:10,080 Speaker 1: this is the question we have about Scandinavian We hope 299 00:16:10,080 --> 00:16:12,120 Speaker 1: we have some Scandinavian listeners who can help us out. 300 00:16:12,600 --> 00:16:14,920 Speaker 1: Is it just our media that distorts the sort of 301 00:16:14,960 --> 00:16:17,560 Speaker 1: equality in the way that I think equality can be 302 00:16:17,600 --> 00:16:21,000 Speaker 1: distorted throughout the United States? Um, you know, I was 303 00:16:21,040 --> 00:16:23,720 Speaker 1: asking the question of Kristen. Would Scandinavia, if it's so 304 00:16:23,800 --> 00:16:26,200 Speaker 1: equal between the genders, would they need a stuff mat 305 00:16:26,200 --> 00:16:29,080 Speaker 1: never told you? Or would this be redundant in Sweden? 306 00:16:29,560 --> 00:16:31,760 Speaker 1: So is it just a matter of our media screwing 307 00:16:31,800 --> 00:16:35,200 Speaker 1: this up? Or is it really just not as equal? 308 00:16:35,640 --> 00:16:38,520 Speaker 1: I mean, is equality a given? Or does our media distorted? Well, 309 00:16:38,520 --> 00:16:41,560 Speaker 1: then it's also interesting when you hop over to Iceland 310 00:16:41,600 --> 00:16:47,320 Speaker 1: where you have um, an openly gay female prime minister. Okay, 311 00:16:47,440 --> 00:16:51,840 Speaker 1: and uh, there was this column in The Guardian with 312 00:16:51,880 --> 00:16:54,920 Speaker 1: the headline is Iceland the most feminist land in the world, 313 00:16:54,960 --> 00:16:57,880 Speaker 1: partly because they have, you know, this this female leader, 314 00:16:57,920 --> 00:17:02,440 Speaker 1: which is great, you know, it's very she's very progressive, etcetera. 315 00:17:02,840 --> 00:17:09,320 Speaker 1: But it was all based around Iceland's initiatives to outlaw brothels. Essentially, 316 00:17:09,760 --> 00:17:13,680 Speaker 1: they called them strip clubs. So first you're just reading like, oh, 317 00:17:13,840 --> 00:17:18,080 Speaker 1: you know, this country might be just sex negative. But 318 00:17:18,160 --> 00:17:19,600 Speaker 1: then you know, it turns out that what they're calling 319 00:17:19,640 --> 00:17:22,920 Speaker 1: strip clubs actually are brothels and and covers for sex trafficking. 320 00:17:23,320 --> 00:17:25,359 Speaker 1: And so they talk about how the country as a 321 00:17:25,400 --> 00:17:29,280 Speaker 1: whole has this belief that women women, women's bodies aren't 322 00:17:29,280 --> 00:17:33,200 Speaker 1: for sale, that you know, they must be protected, and uh, 323 00:17:33,240 --> 00:17:36,440 Speaker 1: they talked about how this strong women's movement in Iceland 324 00:17:36,480 --> 00:17:38,960 Speaker 1: was affecting change. And this, to me was the only 325 00:17:39,280 --> 00:17:41,880 Speaker 1: point in which I kind of understood why you might 326 00:17:41,960 --> 00:17:46,399 Speaker 1: call the Nordic country so um progressive is because the 327 00:17:46,440 --> 00:17:50,080 Speaker 1: country does listen to this strong women's movement that doesn't 328 00:17:50,080 --> 00:17:53,720 Speaker 1: allow itself to get fractured and splintered like ours does. Yeah, 329 00:17:53,760 --> 00:17:56,800 Speaker 1: because I mean the very fact, like you were talking about, uh, 330 00:17:56,800 --> 00:18:01,680 Speaker 1: strip clubs and prostitution. You know, within UM feminism today 331 00:18:01,720 --> 00:18:05,159 Speaker 1: there are two distinct camps of people who are completely 332 00:18:05,240 --> 00:18:07,080 Speaker 1: for it, you know, saying that it's the way that 333 00:18:07,119 --> 00:18:11,120 Speaker 1: women empower themselves through the use and sale, if you will, 334 00:18:11,200 --> 00:18:13,400 Speaker 1: of their bodies and are very you know, I mean 335 00:18:13,440 --> 00:18:16,320 Speaker 1: they're in control of the whole operation. And then other 336 00:18:16,320 --> 00:18:19,679 Speaker 1: women who say no, it's completely degrading and you can 337 00:18:19,720 --> 00:18:22,480 Speaker 1: you can go at it for days and go around 338 00:18:22,480 --> 00:18:24,400 Speaker 1: in circle. So yeah, I think that there you make 339 00:18:24,440 --> 00:18:26,400 Speaker 1: a good point about the fact that at least there's 340 00:18:26,440 --> 00:18:30,359 Speaker 1: some kind of UM unified cause to get around. But 341 00:18:30,440 --> 00:18:33,879 Speaker 1: once again, I don't know that UM you know, having 342 00:18:34,280 --> 00:18:38,520 Speaker 1: the number of strip clubs really again like it's well, 343 00:18:38,560 --> 00:18:40,280 Speaker 1: it just brings us to our larger question. And this 344 00:18:40,320 --> 00:18:42,080 Speaker 1: is where we're gonna need our listeners help. We need 345 00:18:42,119 --> 00:18:45,360 Speaker 1: you to write in what is the definition of a 346 00:18:45,400 --> 00:18:49,080 Speaker 1: gender equal country? Yeah, because the way the media has 347 00:18:49,119 --> 00:18:53,640 Speaker 1: spun it here is that UM one quality one definition 348 00:18:53,640 --> 00:18:57,480 Speaker 1: would be that women can balance family and career by 349 00:18:57,480 --> 00:19:01,240 Speaker 1: having an adequate amount of material. You leave as fathers 350 00:19:01,240 --> 00:19:03,760 Speaker 1: can as well, right. The other definition would be that 351 00:19:03,800 --> 00:19:05,720 Speaker 1: you see women in a lot of positions of power 352 00:19:06,280 --> 00:19:09,640 Speaker 1: in Norway's quotas. And then the third, I guess would 353 00:19:09,640 --> 00:19:11,520 Speaker 1: be that you can close down your strip clubs. So 354 00:19:11,720 --> 00:19:13,679 Speaker 1: those are the three definitions you can find when you 355 00:19:13,720 --> 00:19:16,080 Speaker 1: start doing research on this. Because the one thing that 356 00:19:16,119 --> 00:19:20,280 Speaker 1: we haven't talked about is going back to the statistics Norway. 357 00:19:20,280 --> 00:19:23,720 Speaker 1: There's a huge packet of information that you can find online. 358 00:19:23,720 --> 00:19:26,800 Speaker 1: Molly will post it in our blog and it's a 359 00:19:27,040 --> 00:19:32,399 Speaker 1: statistical gendered breakdown UM from Norway, directly from Norway. And 360 00:19:32,440 --> 00:19:35,320 Speaker 1: when you start to look at say, pay gaps between 361 00:19:35,320 --> 00:19:38,480 Speaker 1: men and women, the career paths that men and women take, 362 00:19:38,520 --> 00:19:41,440 Speaker 1: for instance, the female dominated sectors and then the more 363 00:19:41,480 --> 00:19:45,520 Speaker 1: male dominated engineering sciences and all of that, and also 364 00:19:45,800 --> 00:19:49,359 Speaker 1: violence against women, the rpes of um rapes and things 365 00:19:49,400 --> 00:19:52,879 Speaker 1: like that, you start to get a very similar background 366 00:19:52,920 --> 00:19:57,520 Speaker 1: picture to what's going on in the United States. So 367 00:19:58,040 --> 00:20:02,760 Speaker 1: while yes, they have a fairly significant gender pay gap 368 00:20:02,960 --> 00:20:05,359 Speaker 1: in Norway as they do in the States, we have 369 00:20:05,480 --> 00:20:07,720 Speaker 1: issues with violence against women as they do. We still 370 00:20:07,760 --> 00:20:09,840 Speaker 1: have this issue of you know, kind of the girl's 371 00:20:10,000 --> 00:20:14,080 Speaker 1: educational path versus the boys educational path um and then 372 00:20:14,320 --> 00:20:16,960 Speaker 1: that leads on too, you know, the gendered career paths 373 00:20:16,960 --> 00:20:20,720 Speaker 1: if you will. So, really, are we just boiling gender 374 00:20:20,760 --> 00:20:24,760 Speaker 1: equality down to maternity leave, which I would find a 375 00:20:24,800 --> 00:20:28,199 Speaker 1: little bit questionable because that then just places, you know, 376 00:20:28,240 --> 00:20:33,480 Speaker 1: the only value on women for their reproductive capabilities. Right. 377 00:20:33,520 --> 00:20:35,640 Speaker 1: So that's that's what we found. And like I said, 378 00:20:35,680 --> 00:20:38,840 Speaker 1: there may be something that our media distorts because we 379 00:20:38,920 --> 00:20:41,040 Speaker 1: hope that we have some listeners from these areas who 380 00:20:41,080 --> 00:20:44,119 Speaker 1: will a in vinus to stay with them. Yeah, and 381 00:20:44,320 --> 00:20:47,000 Speaker 1: we'd love to know find out for ourselves and be 382 00:20:47,320 --> 00:20:50,080 Speaker 1: tell us what it's actually like. So, yeah, young women 383 00:20:50,240 --> 00:20:52,760 Speaker 1: in in Norway, Sweden, I wanna I want to know 384 00:20:52,760 --> 00:20:55,200 Speaker 1: what it's like. Are we are we just missing the mark? 385 00:20:55,240 --> 00:20:57,720 Speaker 1: I mean, is day today like, is it a gender 386 00:20:57,920 --> 00:21:01,199 Speaker 1: equal playground? Yeah? And everyone everyone else? We want to 387 00:21:01,240 --> 00:21:04,240 Speaker 1: know what a good definition of a gender equal society is. 388 00:21:04,359 --> 00:21:07,359 Speaker 1: So the email is mom stuff at how stuff works 389 00:21:07,400 --> 00:21:10,320 Speaker 1: dot com. And to finish up, let's read a one 390 00:21:10,480 --> 00:21:17,280 Speaker 1: email from that email address. All right, since we've been 391 00:21:17,280 --> 00:21:20,360 Speaker 1: pretty international this podcast, Kristen, why don't we why don't 392 00:21:20,400 --> 00:21:22,320 Speaker 1: we stay over in Europe? Because I'm going to read 393 00:21:22,320 --> 00:21:25,040 Speaker 1: an email from Richard in Northern Ireland. A great idea. 394 00:21:25,359 --> 00:21:28,360 Speaker 1: Richard writes, in Northern Ireland, we don't consider an instrument 395 00:21:28,400 --> 00:21:30,880 Speaker 1: like the flute in any way a female oriented instrument. 396 00:21:31,119 --> 00:21:33,439 Speaker 1: I would almost say more men play the flute to 397 00:21:33,480 --> 00:21:35,639 Speaker 1: a certain extent than women due to our tradition of 398 00:21:35,640 --> 00:21:39,000 Speaker 1: flute bands. Most flute bands will have a male majority, 399 00:21:39,040 --> 00:21:41,679 Speaker 1: depending on it being a truly loyalist or nationalist, or 400 00:21:41,720 --> 00:21:44,119 Speaker 1: just a marching band, which is usually mixed both in 401 00:21:44,200 --> 00:21:47,360 Speaker 1: community and gender. In contrast to the lamb bed drum, 402 00:21:47,400 --> 00:21:50,760 Speaker 1: which would be considered a male instrument played by many women, 403 00:21:50,760 --> 00:21:53,440 Speaker 1: though rarely on marches to the distance and weight involved. 404 00:21:53,960 --> 00:21:56,679 Speaker 1: When considering instruments like the harp, it's social class is 405 00:21:56,680 --> 00:21:59,880 Speaker 1: more considered, unfortunately, stopping many working class people from ever 406 00:22:00,000 --> 00:22:02,640 Speaker 1: being introduced to them. If you haven't heard what type 407 00:22:02,680 --> 00:22:04,800 Speaker 1: of music is being played by marching bands, I would 408 00:22:04,800 --> 00:22:09,280 Speaker 1: suggest looking at Field Marshal Montgomery Pipe Band. So thank 409 00:22:09,320 --> 00:22:11,879 Speaker 1: you Richard, and uh, it sounds like there's a lot 410 00:22:11,920 --> 00:22:15,320 Speaker 1: of male floutist in Ireland. So told the mail flouts 411 00:22:15,440 --> 00:22:18,800 Speaker 1: out there, send us Alon our email as Mom stuff 412 00:22:18,800 --> 00:22:21,680 Speaker 1: at how stuff works dot com. You can find us 413 00:22:21,760 --> 00:22:24,880 Speaker 1: on Facebook and share your thoughts with other listeners out 414 00:22:24,880 --> 00:22:27,360 Speaker 1: there as well. You can hit us up on Twitter. 415 00:22:28,040 --> 00:22:30,680 Speaker 1: And then finally you can read our blog where Molly 416 00:22:30,720 --> 00:22:33,919 Speaker 1: will be posting all of these statistics and links to 417 00:22:34,280 --> 00:22:38,760 Speaker 1: lots of information about Scandinavia very soon, and you can 418 00:22:38,760 --> 00:22:40,680 Speaker 1: find that in our blog It's Stuff I've Never Told 419 00:22:40,720 --> 00:22:45,840 Speaker 1: You and it's how stuff works dot com. For more 420 00:22:45,880 --> 00:22:48,159 Speaker 1: on this and thousands of other topics, is that how 421 00:22:48,240 --> 00:22:52,640 Speaker 1: stuff works dot com. Want more how stuff works, check 422 00:22:52,680 --> 00:22:54,840 Speaker 1: out our blogs on the house stuff works dot Com 423 00:22:54,880 --> 00:23:01,720 Speaker 1: home page. Brought to you by the re Invented two 424 00:23:01,720 --> 00:23:04,159 Speaker 1: thousand twelve Camri. It's ready, are you