This week is purple week, and we are celebrating International Women’s Day on Friday. According to the 2023 Women, Peace and Security Index, Denmark takes the first place for female quality of life: women are safer, more equal and have better access to justice here than anywhere else in the world. The nation sits at the forefront of gender politics, being one of only 13 countries where all women have a bank account, and one of only 14 where there is a fully gender equitable legal code.
Danish society’s relationship to gender rights has come a long way. It was already in 1814 that the law for universal primary education made it mandatory for girls to be educated. By 1915, women were granted the right to vote and to run for office in Parliament, appointing the first female minister ever, Minister of Education Nina Bang, in 1924. During the ‘60s and ‘70s, cohabitation and childbearing outside of marriage became socially acceptable, and abortions were legalized – all practices that were still deeply condemned in many parts of Europe.
Three everyday factors remind us this positive trend continues: low sexual harassment in public, the unconventional and unpatriarchal norms of the dating scene, and the length and distribution of parental leave. With one of the highest fertility rates in Europe, Danish women set the example for work-life balance around the globe. Longer paternity leave, equal custody for divorced parents, and sexual freedom for all genders create a sense of shared responsibility in raising the future generations, making Denmark a place where women don’t need to sacrifice their career or motherhood at the expense of the other. If you are feeling playful this week, count the number of men you see pushing strollers and make a toast for gender equality.
