Gender equality index for Norwegian municipalities
00.02.10 Gender equality
Once a year, in the middle of December
Level of municipality
Division for Social Welfare Statistics
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Equality between women and men may be described in different ways and by using different kinds of statistics. An index is a composite measurement, i.e. a way to simplify or compress data. In the gender equality index we try to combine various direct and indirect measurements of gender equality that show the extent to which women and men participate in politics, education and working life. The gender equality index has been published by Statistics Norway since 1999.
Users are departments, mass media and Norwegian municipalities.
Norwegian municipalities.
The index is based on relevant and available statistics and includes the most important factors that can be measured.
The indicators are:
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The basis for the index can be found in the StatBank. Figures on the labour force are taken from the Labour Force Survey, broken down by municipality, with the help of figures for the registered fully
unemployed and provisional figures from the register-based employment statistics.
The indicator "Number of women per 100 men" is included as an indirect measure. Municipalities with few opportunities for education and a non-diversified (male-dominated) industry structure usually experience out-migration of young women. A low percentage of women therefore indicate that the basis for gender equality in the municipality is weak.
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The municipalities can score a maximum value of 4 and a minimum value of 1. For the indicators kindergarten coverage, female municipal council members and percentage of women aged 20-39 the municipalities are ranked and grouped into quartiles and assigned the following point values: 4, 3, 2, and 1. Municipalities among the 25 per cent with the highest score are assigned the value 4, whereas the 25 per cent with the lowest score are assigned the value 1.
With regard to education, employment and income the municipalities have been ranked both by women's education level and the relative levels of education for women and men. The total is divided by two, so that the maximum and minimum point values are 4 and 1 respectively. The total value is subsequently divided by the total number of indicators, i.e. 6, which gives the index a maximum value of 4 and a minimum value of 1.
Example: Kongsvinger Municipality:
Indicator |
Value |
Points |
Kindergarten coverage, children aged 1-5 |
71,2 |
2.0 |
Percentage of female municipal council members |
30,3 |
2.0 |
Number of women per 100 men |
96 |
3.0 |
Percentage of women/men aged 16 and over with higher education |
16,4/15,9 |
1.5 |
Percentage of women/men aged 20-66 in the labour force |
72,1/80 |
1.5 |
Average income for women/men |
192700/295300 |
3.0 |
Total |
- |
13.0/6 = 2.2 |
Kongsvinger Municipality has a kindergarten coverage of 71,2 per cent, this is a little bit below the national average, and gives a value of 2 points in the index. The percentage of female municipal council members is 30.3. This equals 2 points. The number of women per 100 men aged 20-39 is 96 and gives a value of 3 points. In terms of education, 16,4 per cent of the women in the municipality (aged 16 and over) have higher education. 15,9 per cent of the men have higher education. In total this gives a value of 1.5 points. The percentage of women in the labour force is 72,1. Compared to woman in other municipalities it equals 1 point. Compared with the municipality's male population it equals 2 points. This gives the municipality a total indicator for labour force participation of 1,5 points. An average income of nearly NOK 193 000 is grouped among the 25 per cent of municipalities with the almost highest income for women, and gives a value of 3 points. When compared with men in the municipality, the figure is 3 points, thus 3 points in total. The average of all indicators gives an index of 2.2, placing Kongsvinger below the national average, of 2,5 points.
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This index is relative: The fact that a municipality has a 4 on income, for example, does not mean that women and men have an equally high income, only that the municipality is placed in the highest quartile.
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http://www.ssb.no/english/subject/00/02/10/likekom_en/
Focus on gender equality: www.ssb.no/likestilling_en/
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