Today, women in the Nordics are among the most active labour market participants in the world, but the goal of equal conditions in the labour market is far from being achieved. One of the clearest indicators of this are pay differentials between women and men. To help reduce the pay differentials the Nordic Council of Ministers has initiated a project on pay equity, which, among other things, has resulted in this publication.

 This publication discusses various explanations for the undervaluation of women’s work in a gender-segregated labour market, based on a survey of social partners and other key stakeholders in the Nordic countries. A background review of various statistics of gender pay gaps is provided with the aim of illustrating the underlying factors. Various aspects of the survey highlighted by the respondents are also discussed, drawing on relevant research.