Iceland just made it illegal to pay women less than men

Iceland has made it illegal to pay women less than men.

The legislation came into effect on January 1 and makes it an offence to pay men more money in companies of over 25 employees. Al Jazeera reports that employers will now need to obtain a certificate from the government to prove that they are adhering to pay equality rules in the workplace. If they fail to do so, they will risk a substantial fine. Icelandic Women's Rights Association's Dagny Osk Aradottir Pind said that the new law is a way to "ensure women and men are being paid equally."

"The legislation is basically a mechanism for companies and organisations to evaluate every job that’s being done, and then they get a certification after they confirm the process if they are paying men and women equally."

Iceland already had legislation protecting women from unequal pay, however a gender pay gap still existed. This change aims to close the gap by 2022. Iceland currently ranks top in the world for gender equality according to the World Economic Forum. They are the first country to legalise equal pay across genders, remaining the top ranking for equality for the past nine years. The pay gap in Ireland currently sits at 14 percent.