Gender segregation in student career aspirations in Norwegian secondary schools

Abstract

Along with the other Nordic welfare states, Norway has achieved relative gender parity as measured by the Gender Gap Index of the United Nations (Hausmann, Tyson, & Zahidi, 2006) and is therefore looked upon by many as a model in minimising gender gaps in the society. With a 47 per cent share of the active labour force in the country, Norwegian women have had a high level of labour market participation since the late 1980s. In addition, Norway ranks among the top countries in the world in terms of offering women and men equal access to education at all levels, equal access to leadership positions in the workplace and in politics and generous parental leave benefits. Although gender parity in education at all levels as well as in labour market participation is a reality in Norway, there are significant gender differences vis-à-vis in career aspiration among students and the Norwegian labour market is characterized by gender segregation (Foss, 2005) which results in a gender gap in pay where women earn less than men.

Citation

Huang, L. (2009), "Gender segregation in student career aspirations in Norwegian secondary schools", Baker, D.P. and Wiseman, A.W. (Ed.) Gender, Equality and Education from International and Comparative Perspectives (International Perspectives on Education and Society, Vol. 10), Emerald Group Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 333-356. https://doi.org/10.1108/S1479-3679(2009)0000010013