Iceland's example should be improved on, not followed. A country mandating equal, completely non-transferable family leave for both men and women would begin to degrade the stereotype propping up the pay gap. If men and women must both take time off to take care of a child, and if they are actively encouraged to put equal effort into child-rearing -- something that can only be good for children -- employers will cease to regard men as the more committed workers.

KSÍ, the Football Association of Iceland, has decided that the women's national team in football will receive the same bonuses as the men's team, fótbolti.net reports. The board of KSÍ made the decision in order to further equality within the sport. The women's team will now receive the same performance bonuses, which will depend upon success on the pitch, as the men's team.

At the Norwegian Embassy in Britain's capital, Norway's men's and women's captains -- Stefan Johansen and Maren Mjelde -- and representatives of the Norwegian Football Association (NFF) and Norway's players' association (NISO) signed an agreement on equal pay in a deal thought to be the first of its kind in international football.

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, the world’s youngest female leader, says her government aims to achieve pay equity for women in the public service within four years as a catalyst for widespread change. More than 120 years after her nation granted universal suffrage, Ardern hopes it can again be a flag-bearer for equal rights. “If New Zealand is seen as a champion of issues around gender pay gap and pay equity, I would be proud of that,” Ardern, 37, said in an interview Tuesday in Wellington. “I know, though, that we will only be seen as a world leader if we’re able to make inroads ourselves.”

"If a woman has a bad experience in graduate school and decides not to become a professor, that is one less woman who applied to the same jobs I did, and that meant more room for me," he says. "All men have benefited from the reduced competition of women who have been dissuaded from certain careers or certain companies."

Out of 144 countries, Italy ranks 82nd for equal opportunities at work and in politics, education and health. It has plummeted 32 places since last year’s ranking and 41 since 2015, placing it far behind its Northern European neighbours, who lead the index globally. Italy now ranks below almost any other country in the European Union, with the exception of the Czech Republic, Cyprus, Malta and Hungary.

According to NPR: ”Nationally, Hispanic, Black and Asian women make up less than five percent of newsroom personnel at traditional print and online news publications.” And while our country is about 20 percent Hispanic, our voices are nearly absent from political commentary and investigative journalism. This lack of representation undercuts our ability to participate in the national conversation, making it harder for our voices to be heard and values to be seen.

Research has shown that flexible work reduces work-life conflict, improves worker health, and increases work commitment and productivity, while improving job performance. However, much of that productivity boost comes in the form of longer work hours.

But what does “equal pay” mean? And how do we know when it’s been achieved? By understanding the different interpretations of “equal pay” and by taking a closer look at out how companies can mitigate the gender pay gap, we can: 1) start to use the term more accurately, and 2) more effectively unpack what companies and other stakeholders need to do to tackle the gap.

"Women are far more visible in sports today than at any previous point in history," says UN Women in a statement. Yet the pace of change is so slow that it will take "a long journey" to reach pay parity at the top level, experts say. "We are making progress, but it is happening at a glacial pace," says Fiona Hathorn, managing director of advocacy group Women on Boards. "The sport world is very, very male dominated still and the disparities in some sports are shocking."

"Now, when we go to our new job, we get pay parity," Langbroek said on Tuesday. "And we're on parity now." "And I couldn't be happier, obviously," Hughes said. "You deserve it". "Sometimes that might mean men might get paid less than what they might have got to make sure that what's fair is fair."

I have always been passionate about diversity in the workplace. Diversity is now undeniably proven to be good for business (recent McKinsey research found that with 30%+ female leadership, companies can expect to add up to 6% to its net margin), as well as very simply just the right thing to do. Although I appreciate the recognition, I’m acutely aware that our journey is still in its infancy and we have a long way to go until the companies in which we work truly reflect the customers we serve and the societies in which we live.