[K Population Strategy] Danish Minister in Her 30s and Working Mom: "Gender Equality for Both Men and Women Is Key" [Special Interview]

Interview with Marie Biare, Denmark's Minister of Digital Government and Gender Equality

Improving Parental Leave System
Encouraging Equal Childcare Participation by Men and Women
Companies More Proactive in Legal Revisions

In Denmark, the minister in charge of the country's gender equality issues is a working mother in her 30s. On the 24th of last month, Marie Bjerre, Denmark's Minister for Digital Government and Gender Equality, who visited Korea to exchange best practices such as public data sharing, was met at Yonsei University in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul. Minister Bjerre, who appeared with a bright smile, raised her voice throughout the interview despite her hoarse voice, saying, "The core of gender equality policy is that spending time with children and having the opportunity to fulfill one's dreams is good for both mothers and fathers."

Born in 1986, Minister Bjerre is a former lawyer who entered politics in 2019. Her affiliated party is the right-leaning Venstre (Liberal Party). After winning re-election in 2022, she was appointed Minister for Digital Government and Gender Equality. Denmark has a coalition government formed by the Social Democrats, Venstre, and the Moderates. Cabinet positions are allocated according to the number of seats held by each party.

Denmark has a gender wage gap of 5.6% (as of 2022), making it a country with relatively high gender equality among OECD member countries (South Korea 31.2%, OECD average 12.1%). However, even in Denmark, invisible barriers still exist for women. Minister Bjerre said, "The reality is that being a female minister and a mother subjects me to different standards than men," adding, "The boards of Danish companies still have far more men than women."

However, according to Minister Bjerre, Denmark is actively working to improve the situation based on this awareness. In 2022, Denmark revised its parental leave system to allow men and women to participate equally in childcare. Of the total 52 weeks (about 12 months) of parental leave, 11 weeks that cannot be transferred to the spouse are allocated to each parent, and these must be used within one year of the child's birth. Support systems have also been established for male victims of domestic violence. The victim support centers, previously available only to women, have been opened to men as well. Minister Bjerre said, "Gender equality is for both men and women. If the system had focused only on women, it would have caused side effects."

Marie Bjerre, Minister of Digital Government and Gender Equality of Denmark, is being interviewed by Asia Economy on the 24th at Yonsei University Sinchon Campus in Seoul. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

The following is a Q&A with Minister Bjerre.

- The Danish government has mandated that men use a certain period of parental leave. What is the reason?

△ Before the revision, most of the 12 months of parental leave were used only by mothers. For men to take parental leave, their wives had to reduce their leave somewhat. With the new law, men can now take at least 10 weeks (about two and a half months) of parental leave. I think this new law has been quite successful. Before the law was enacted, Danish men took only two weeks of parental leave, but now they take 10.5 weeks.

- In South Korea, there are concerns that increasing men's parental leave might reduce productivity. Did you have to persuade business leaders separately?

△ In Denmark, the atmosphere was quite the opposite. Companies pushed for men to be given parental leave as well. This was because businesspeople believed that gender balance should be maintained at work and that workplace gender equality improves the overall work environment. Mandating men's parental leave has played a key role in promoting equality for both women and men. It provides women with better career opportunities and gives men the chance to spend time with their families and participate in family life.

- What motivated you to start a career in politics?

△ It wasn't planned from the beginning. I really liked being a lawyer. I had no choice but to enter politics because I wanted to raise my voice and work hard to make changes.

- You are raising two children. Is it difficult to balance parenting while working as a minister?

△ I often get asked that question in Denmark as well. Some male ministers also have young children, but they don't seem to get the same question. I think the reason I get asked is because I am a woman. Therefore, I believe an environment should be created where women who have children can also become politicians. A good society is one where women with children can raise their voices and become politicians. Additionally, it is important to have a 'supportive partner.' Care and responsibilities should be shared fairly within the family. Fortunately, I have a very good partner, so I am lucky. Planning well is also important. Parenting requires a lot of time and preparation, so you need to be good at planning and preparing.

- Do you spend enough time with your family on weekends?

△ As I said earlier, good planning is essential. The parliament is in Copenhagen, and I live three and a half hours away from Copenhagen. So, to work as a minister, I go to Copenhagen on Monday evening and stay there until Friday evening, during which time I don't see my children. But from Friday evening to Monday evening, I spend more time with my children than my husband does. That works better for our family. On weekends, I try to have my own time, and if I have to work on weekends, I always bring my children along so we can spend time together.

Minister Biare stated, "Gender equality is not simply about women; it concerns both men and women," emphasizing, "It should also bring many benefits to men." Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

- If you have to prioritize between work and family, are you currently prioritizing your work as a minister?

△ I can't say I prioritize work. I have two daughters, and I believe what I do positively influences them. I can be a role model for my daughters, and they can be proud of their mother, so I think it's a good thing. I also think I give my daughters the opportunity to grow into strong women. And I prioritize my children. I try to see them every day and consider myself a mother who puts her children first.

- Are there any prejudices against men's parental leave? If a male minister does not take maternity or parental leave, what kind of reputation would he get?

△ Not at all; it's quite the opposite. If they didn't take leave, people would think they don't want to spend time with their children.

- The Danish government has the Ministry of Digital Government and the Ministry of Gender Equality combined. How are the roles of each department managed?

△ They are considered separate and operate independently. The Ministry of Gender Equality has existed for 20 years. It has never existed alone but has been integrated with other ministries. Previously, it was combined with the transportation department. A few years ago, it was integrated with the Ministry of Digital Government. At first, when it was said that Digital Government and Gender Equality would be combined, it seemed like a strange combination, but after operating it, we found that they fit well together. Considering that more women need to enter the IT industry and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) fields to promote a digital society, I think Digital Government and Gender Equality have overlapping areas. Gender equality as a field comprehensively affects various areas of society. Being attached to any part provides a good opportunity to influence policies across different social sectors.

- Is Denmark aware of the low birthrate issue? Are there any solutions?

△ Denmark's birthrate is 1.5 children per woman. I think this number is somewhat low because the appropriate birthrate for maintaining a suitable population is 2.1. Denmark is making various efforts to increase the birthrate, one of which is making daycare costs affordable. When women return to work after 12 months of parental leave, there is a sufficient environment to care for children, and there is also an environment to care for the elderly, so women have less burden to provide care. There is also a culture where mothers and fathers share household chores and caregiving. To increase the birthrate, infertility and fertility treatment support are made easily accessible.

Minister Biare said in an interview that day, "When my male minister colleagues come home on Friday and spend the entire weekend with their children in the same situation as me, people say, 'Wow, you are really a good father.' However, as a mother, there is an atmosphere of finger-pointing because I do not spend time with my children during the weekdays." He then raised his voice, saying, "If we want equality, this kind of atmosphere is really problematic." Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

- Are there still areas in Denmark where practical gender equality is needed?

△ Gender equality is not just a women's issue. Men also face problems. Looking at society, women seem to struggle to move upward, while men seem to struggle at the lower end. What I mean is that men are often the ones who suffer from loneliness, have high suicide rates, become homeless, experience family conflicts, or have health problems. Questions about these male-related gender equality issues are rarely asked. Therefore, we have focused on including men as well. Recently, a new law was enacted in Denmark. Previously, when violence occurred in a relationship, women would seek shelter as victims, but there was no concept of men seeking such places or being victims. Violence was thought to be men committing acts against women, not women against men. However, there are cases where women hit men, and when men become victims of such violence, a law was created to provide help and support. I personally think this law is a success.

- Denmark currently has a coalition government. How do ministers from different parties coordinate their opinions?

△ The new coalition government was formed recently. The last coalition government was in the 1970s, and it did not last long. I am from a right-leaning party, and the other parties in the coalition are social democratic. The coalition government is operating well so far. Denmark has a tradition of reaching consensus beyond the center. We had this even before left-wing governments and before right-wing governments, alternating, but there is a recognition in our society that broad consultation and consensus are best. We are the majority party, but we do not actually use that power. When political agreements are made, other parties always join us.

About Minister Marie Bjerre...

Marie Bjerre is Denmark's Minister for Digital Government and Gender Equality. She was first elected as a member of the Venstre party in 2019. Born in 1986, she participated in party activities even as a student. She earned a master's degree in law from the University of Copenhagen in 2011 and completed a master's in law at UC Berkeley, California, USA (2015?2016). Before entering politics, she worked as a lawyer.