Episode 95: Better in Scandinavia
/“The number of divorces has gone a little bit down in Norway – because if you take care of your family it is better for all the parts. I think it’s better for both men and women.”
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“Women are working really hard and full time, and then they’re trying to be the perfect mother and have the perfect home. There’s a lot of pressure here to have very tidy, very stylishly decorated homes, and all of that takes energy.”
“When you deviate just a little bit from gender roles and gendered behavior...it triggers anxiety and criticism. So you tend to choose the path of least resistance.”
Lynn Roseberry
The Nordic countries have a reputation for equality and excellent work/life balance. American women look enviously at these nations as they scrape together a short maternity leave or finish another 10-hour day.
But here's the paradox: there are just as few women in powerful roles in Scandinavia as there are in the US.
In this show I set out to discover more about life for professional women in the Nordic countries. We have representatives from three of them - Norway, Sweden, and Denmark.
You can also read a transcript of the show.