evidence: The overarching legal framework for women’s empowerment dates to the Gender Equality Act in 1976, which outlawed gender discrimination at work and at school. This was followed by the enshrinement of equal rights of men and women in the Constitution in 1995. The Icelandic government has focused intensively on labor law, particularly in the area of equal pay.70 Although Iceland adopted the Equal Pay Act in 1961, pay equity did not become a reality until the government’s adoption of the Equal Pay Standard in 2018. Under this standard, companies are required to adopt wage management systems that transparently establish job criteria and wages for clearly defined positions, without regard to the gender of the person in the position. Companies must obtain certification from third-party auditors to prove that they are in compliance with the standard and renew it every three years. If an employer does not get certified, it faces financial penalty. In establishing this standard, Iceland has "put teeth" into its equal pay legislation.