ICELAND TO REQUIRE FIRMS TO PROVE EQUAL PAY

Iceland will be the first country in the world to make employers prove they offer equal pay regardless of gender, ethnicity, sexuality or nationality, the Nordic nation’s government said Wednesday — International Women’s Day.

The government said it will introduce legislation to parliament this month, requiring all employers with more than 25 staff to ob- tain certification to prove they give equal pay for work of equal value.

While other countries, and the U. S. state of Minnesota, have equal- salary certificate policies, Iceland is thought to be the first to make it mandatory for both private and public firms.

The North Atlantic island nation, which has a population of about 330,000, wants to eradicate the gender pay gap by 2022.