1. "We try to help the mothers." Failing the work-life balance Ingólfur V. Gíslason, associate professor, University of Iceland

2. Why is work-life balance important? Key to the solution of the gender pay gap problem Necessary for a full life of both men and women Important for economic growth Necessary for demographic sustainability

3. Why is there a pay gap? Gender segregation on the labour market - history - traditional roles Family responsibilities Blatant discrimination

4. Gender Pay Gap Norway 2008: Up to 40% of the gender pay gap can be explained by the different effects that becoming a parent has on salaries of fathers and mothers Iceland 2010: Children have a positive effect on men’s salaries but a negative on women’s. The younger the child, the more pronounced are the effects

5. Three levels Maxi – the involvment of the state Midi – firms and municipalities – culture Mini – decisions within individual families

6. The state – labour market agreements Working hours Child care facilities Laws on gender equality Parental leave

7. Firms and municipalities Program for work-life balance Gender equality plans Good child care facilities City planning

8. Family responsibilities Real – parental leave – time studies – employers views Imagined – discrimination Experiments - transgender people - names set pay standards (Iceland)

9. Failing! “Yes, we try to be a family-friendly workplace. We believe it attracts the best people. We have a family policy and a gender equality plan. Mainly it amounts to trying to help the mothers balancing family responsibilities and work. They still take the lions share of family work.” Male executive (43), gender mixed firm (finance)

10. Individual (family) decisions Determined by the maxi and midi levels Economic considerations (often overrated) Gender ideals – the good mother – the good provider

11. 11 Men’s share of domestic work 1987/90 and 2000/01

12. Icelandic fathers on parental leave

13. Women’s earnings as % of men’s in Iceland

14. Men to fathers Hormonal changes (less testosterone, less cortisol, more estradiol, more prolactin) Couvade syndrome Baby blues Use parental leave if certain conditions are met Are important for the emotional and cognitive development of children

15. Competence of fathers Fathers, as well as mothers, are biologically prepared for their new role Active fathers show similar sensitivity to the needs of infants as mothers do Children raised by single fathers fare no worse than those raised by single mothers, in some cases even better

16. Way forward? Work-life balance is today to a large degree a question of promoting caring masculinities: Paternity leave Active fatherhood in workplaces Encourage parents to let fathers take care of sick children Cultural promotion of caring fatherhood

17. Problems and possible solutions It is not only (or even mainly) about women/mothers It is a complex problem with no easy solutions We have to face the possibility that gender pay gap will not be eliminated in a society based on market economy But we can certainly diminish the gap