Anne Enger Lahnstein leads Equal Pay Commission

No.:  06029
Date:  16 June 2006
Contact:  Information secretariat  +47 22 24 24 07

 

Anne Enger Lahnstein leads Equal Pay Commission

 

Minister of Children and Equality Karita Bekkemellem today presented the new Norwegian Equal Pay Commission. One task of the Commission will be to consider ways of narrowing the wage gap between women and men.

 

"It has been 55 years since the International Labour Organization enacted its Equal Remuneration Convention on equal pay for equal work by men and women,” says Karita Bekkemellem. "It is highly regrettable that pay disparities remain between the sexes in Norway. The Government will therefore strengthen efforts to create an employment policy in which gender equality and equal pay are key elements."

 

The Equal Pay Commission's mandate:
• The Commission shall make equal pay for equal work the basic goal of its gender equality policies. The earnings differential between women and men is to be measured for this purpose as the gap between their hourly pay rates -- that is, their remuneration after differences in total working hours are removed from the calculation.
• The Commission shall provide an overall description of pay differences between men and women based on available statistics and research. The differences should also be given an international dimension.
• The Commission shall consider ways to help reduce pay disparities between women and men. In this process the Commission shall make known any effect that reducing these disparities may have on government budgets and the labour market.
• The Commission shall consult a reference group of employer and employee representatives. The Commission shall confer with the reference group during the course of its work and set up arenas for discussion and communication. This process will be an important way of spreading knowledge and influencing opinion.
• The Commission is to submit its report by 1 March 2008.

 

The Norwegian Equal Pay Commission is chaired by Anne Enger Lahnstein, the County Governor of Østfold County. Its members are:

 

Professor Tom Colbjørnsen, Bergen – Norwegian School of Economics and Business Administration (NHH)
Senior Researcher Oddbjørn Raaum, Oslo – Frisch Centre
Professor Hege Brækhus, Tromsø – University of Tromsø
Research Chief Torgeir Aarvaag Stokke, Oslo – FAFO
Researcher II Hege Torp, Oslo – Research Council of Norway
Research Director Erling Barth, Oslo – Institute for Social Research
Professor Anne-Jorunn Berg, Bodø – Bodø University College