New association: Will fight for women’s rights

A newly established association will, among other things, focus on the significant wage gap between women and men as one of its first topics, says the vice-chairman of the association.

The international organization Business and Professional Women (BPW) established a Greenlandic chapter on June 10th under the name BPW Greenland.

Business and Professional Women International is a global network with 23,000 members in 110 countries. BPW International was founded in 1930 with the aim of promoting women’s rights, leadership skills and opportunities to participate in society through work, according to a press release from the newly established Greenlandic branch.

BPW Greenland plans to fight for women’s rights in Greenland, among other things by creating debate on these issues. The association is open to participation from other associations, organizations and citizens of society in general.

A central issue in Greenland will be the wage gap between men and women.

– The fact that women in companies earn 25 percent less than men is an expression of inequality, and it is something that should be discussed, says vice-chairwoman Ellen Schärfe to KNR.

– As is known, men are most often placed in higher positions, and this can also lead to inequality in society, she says and continues:

– Various studies also show that there are economic differences, which, among other things, lead to women in some cases withdrawing and even being perceived as less valuable.

According to Nordic Statistics, in 2024 women earned an average of 23 percent less than men in this country.

In the debate about more equal pay, it is also considered that the population, the trade union SIK and other organizations in the labor market be involved.

– There are many opportunities, and we look forward to collaborating with everyone with the aim of creating a more equal society where gender does not play a role, says Ellen Schärfe.

Salary can create imbalance in the home

The association points out that wage inequality between women and men exists globally. This can also lead to conflicts within the family, the vice-chairman emphasizes.

– Looking at the entire country, violence against women has also been mentioned as a relevant issue. And international studies also show that when there is greater economic equality, there is also greater equality in the home, which can lead to fewer conflicts in the family.

The board of directors of the association will meet for the first time this week, where they will set the date for their first debate event.

You can follow their activities on their Facebook page.