GSCG Toolkit Annex Denmark

Overview in Denmark

Gender equality in the Danish labour market is a key political and social focus area. Denmark is internationally recognized for its high employment rate among women and for having legislation that promotes gender equality. However, significant challenges remain, particularly in terms of pay, management representation, and the division of labor in the home.

Legislation and political framework

Denmark has established a solid legislative framework for gender equality in the labour market:

The Equal Treatment Act:Prohibits direct and indirect discrimination on the basis of gender in employment.
The Discrimination Act:Deals with protection against discrimination in the labour market, including on the basis of gender.
The Equal Pay Act:Ensures that men and women receive equal pay for equal work.

In addition, Denmark is bound by international conventions such as the UN Convention on Women and the EU Gender Equality Directives, which support national initiatives. The EU is also working on a forthcoming directive on wage transparency to promote equal pay DM.

Unequal pay and gender segregation

Despite the legislation, there is still a significant pay gap between the sexes. According to Statistics Denmark, the pay gap in 2022 was 12.2%, which means that women earned on average 12.2% less than men KVINFO. When adjusting for factors such as education, seniority, and job function, there is still an unexplained difference of around 7% fiu-ligestilling.dk.

The labor market is also characterized by gender segregation, with women often employed in low-paid public sector jobs, while men dominate high-paid private sector occupations fiu-ligestilling.dk.

Management and career opportunities

Women are underrepresented in top management and on boards of directors. According to the Diversity Barometer 2023, women continue to be overrepresented in lower management layers and underrepresented in top management and on boards of directors Dansk Erhverv.

Statistics Denmark is actively working on policies and action plans for gender equality, including promoting a balanced gender distribution among employees and managers at all levels Statistics Denmark.

Division of labor and parental leave

A significant challenge to gender equality is the unequal division of labour in the home. On average, women spend 9 weeks more per year on domestic chores such as laundry, cooking, and cleaning. This unequal division of labour affects women’s opportunities to participate fully in the labour market.

Overall assessment

Denmark has established a strong legislative framework for gender equality in the labour market. However, significant challenges remain, particularly in terms of pay, management representation, and the division of labor in the home. Continued political initiatives and societal awareness are needed to achieve true gender equality.

Gender-Sensitive Career Guidance Current State in Denmark

Current situation in Denmark

In Denmark, there is recognition of the need to break down gender segregation in the labour market. The partnership between the Danish Employers’ Association, the Danish Confederation of Trade Unions, Local Government Denmark, Danish Regions and the Agency for Labour Market and Recruitment is actively working to find solutions that can promote gender equality in educational choices and in the labour market. This includes initiatives such as encouraging young people to choose education programmes and jobs that are traditionally gender-segregated. For example, less than one in ten applicants for electrician training are women, while only about one in ten nursing students are men UddannelsesGuiden.

The Diversity Barometer 2024 shows that men continue to be strongly overrepresented in STEM+ subjects (science, technology, engineering, mathematics, business economics, economics and law) and related industries, while women are overrepresented in health and social services EQUALIS.

The government’s initiatives focus on promoting less gender-segregated educational choices, as gender-segregated educational choices can limit young people’s opportunities and create imbalances in the labour market digmin.dk.

Gender-sensitive career guidance in the education sector

Educational institutions such as Copenhagen University College offer modules that focus on career guidance based on empirical studies of choice patterns and career paths Copenhagen University College.

However, there is a need for more systematic integration of gender-sensitive guidance into teacher and counsellor training programmes to ensure that future counsellors are equipped to deal with gender-related challenges in career guidance.

Gender-sensitive career guidance in the labour market

In the labour market, the Diversity Barometer 2023 shows that women continue to be underrepresented in management and on boards, which is reflected in gender-segregated career paths Dansk Erhverv.

Initiatives such as KVINFO’s mentor network support women with refugee and immigrant backgrounds in finding jobs or education, which can help break down barriers for women in the labour market KVINFO.

Gender stereotypes and norms: Existing gender stereotypes influence both guidance counsellors and young people, which can lead to guidance counsellors unconsciously recommending certain educational programmes or career paths based on gender dk.
Lack of gender-sensitive training: There is a need for counsellors to receive training in gender-sensitive counselling to ensure that they can provide objective advice Copenhagen University College.
Structural barriers in the labour market: Even if guidance is gender-sensitive, there are still structural barriers in the labour market that limit opportunities for women and men in certain sectors.
Lack of role models: The absence of visible role models in certain fields can make it more difficult for young people to imagine themselves in these roles. arXiv.

Education and training of guidance counsellors: Implement regular training in gender-sensitive guidance to ensure that guidance counsellors are aware of their own preconceptions and can provide objective advice Copenhagen University College.
Promotion of role models: Create platforms where young people can meet and interact with role models from different fields, especially those that are traditionally gender-segregated arXiv.
Updating guidance materials: Ensure that guidance materials and resources are gender-sensitive and do not reinforce existing stereotypes dk.
Collaborating with the labour market: Establish partnerships between educational institutions and businesses to create more opportunities for young people in underrepresented sectors KVINFO.

There are currently several initiatives, policies and networks in Denmark that focus on promoting gender equality in education and career guidance. Some of the most notable are:

This plan contains several targeted measures to promote gender equality in education, work and family life. One of the specific focus areas is to promote gender equality in educational choices, including reducing gender segregation in the choice of education and occupation. The plan also supports the work of public authorities on gender equality, which may influence career guidance in both primary and secondary education. Folketinget

For the first time, Denmark has launched an action plan that specifically addresses gender equality for men and boys. In the areas of education and working life, the plan focuses on attracting more men to the care and health sectors, which are traditionally dominated by women. This includes initiatives such as ‘Boys’ Day in Care’, which aims to change boys’ perceptions of these professions and increase their participation. Funds have also been allocated to develop and test new recruitment methods to make these sectors more attractive to men. Real equality

This initiative from the Ministry of Digitalisation focuses on ensuring equal opportunities for all people, regardless of gender, in relation to education, work and family life. This includes promoting less gender-segregated education programmes and working on how educational institutions can promote a more equal gender distribution. There is also a focus on strengthening knowledge about gender, sexuality and equality in the education system. digmin.dk

The Danish Association of Masters and PhDs (DM) works actively for equality in the labour market. This includes ensuring equal rights and opportunities regardless of gender, including equal opportunities for education, employment, pay and career. DM also works for equal pay through collective agreements, member counselling and political influence. DM

UCL University College has a research programme called ‘Inclusion and Everyday Life’ that focuses on supporting children, young people and adults in vulnerable positions so that they can achieve equal opportunities in the institutions of the welfare society. Among other things, this programme examines how cooperation in schools is organised with other professionals around early interventions for children who are causing concern.

These initiatives and policies demonstrate a broad effort to promote gender equality in Denmark, both in terms of education and career guidance. They address both structural barriers and individual choices and aim to create a more equal and inclusive society.

Stakeholder Perspectives & Good Practices

Here are two specific examples of initiatives in the Danish education sector that promote gender-sensitive career guidance:

Career learning in lower secondary school is an approach that supports pupils in understanding themselves and their opportunities in relation to education and work. This approach promotes reflection on their own interests and abilities and helps pupils make informed choices. It is an important method for breaking gender stereotypes and ensuring that all pupils have equal opportunities to choose their future path. Emu

An expert group set up by the Ministry of Children and Education has drawn up recommendations that focus, among other things, on gender in educational guidance. The group points to the need to address gender-segregated search patterns and ensure that all children and young people have equal opportunities in their educational choices. UVM

These initiatives demonstrate an increased focus on gender-sensitive career guidance in Denmark and support efforts to create a more equal and inclusive education system.

Conclusions & Recommendations

In Denmark, gender equality in the labour market is a key political and social priority. Denmark has a strong legislative framework, including legislation on equal treatment, discrimination and equal pay, as well as obligations under international conventions and EU directives. Despite this, challenges remain, such as pay gaps (women earn on average 12.2% less than men), gender segregation in the labour market and under-representation of women in management. In addition, the unequal distribution of domestic work affects women’s participation in working life.

In career guidance, the need to break down gender segregation, both in education and in the labour market, is recognised. Efforts are being made to promote gender-sensitive guidance methods, but barriers such as gender stereotypes, lack of gender-sensitive training for guidance counsellors, structural labour market barriers and lack of role models are hampering progress. Government initiatives and partnerships focus on supporting young people in choosing education and jobs across traditional gender boundaries.

Several national plans and projects, such as the Perspective and Action Plan for Gender Equality (2025) and the Action Plan for Men’s and Boys’ Equality, are working specifically to promote gender balance in education and the labour market. In the education sector, initiatives such as career learning in upper secondary school and recommendations from expert groups on gender are highlighted as concrete examples of good practice in gender-sensitive career guidance.

Overall, Denmark shows a strong commitment to promoting gender equality, but continued efforts are needed to overcome the persistent challenges.

The GUIDE project toolkit addresses several of the challenges within gender-sensitive career guidance outlined at national level, both within the education sector and in the labour market.

The toolkit can thus be used as one of several means of promoting gender-sensitive career guidance. It is particularly useful as a guide tool for career choices in the lower levels of the education sector, where young people are faced with choosing a professional career. Here, the Guide’s focus on awareness and avoiding gender stereotypes can help career guidance practitioners provide more qualified gender-sensitive career guidance.