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Europe > Iceland

You are looking at 1 - 5 of 5 items for :

  • Type: Journal Issue x
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Cover IMF Working Papers
Tackling Legal Impediments to Women’s Economic Empowerment
Mrs. Katharine M Christopherson Puh
,
Audrey Yiadom
,
Juliet Johnson
,
Francisca Fernando
,
Hanan Yazid
, and
Clara Thiemann
It is well established that a wide range of legal impediments in countries’ domestic laws have prevented women from achieving full economic empowerment, which in turn has negative macroeconomic implications. In many countries, laws often reflect and perpetuate gender norms that limit women’s economic participation, and removal of these impediments through legal reform has been shown to be an effective method to catalyze greater participation of women in the economy—along with the related macroeconomic benefits. Once legal barriers are removed and provisions for more equal treatment under the law are embedded, the law can also be employed as a powerful tool to incentivize women to pursue equal opportunities, change mindsets regarding the role of women, and hold institutions and individuals accountable for achieving results. Accordingly, it is imperative for countries to focus on eliminating existing legal impediments and designing appropriate incentives to increase women’s participation in the economy. This paper goes beyond previous Fund work by categorizing the key sources of laws that impede women’s economic empowerment, as well as ways in which the law can be used as a tool to create behavioral changes and shifts in perceptions of women in the economy. Case studies of six countries (Iceland, Peru, Rwanda, The Philippines, Tunisia, and the United States) that rank high in gender equality in their respective regions demonstrate how legal reforms have been implemented in differing contexts to help achieve women’s economic empowerment. Given the relevance to the Fund’s mandate, the paper also notes the case for a stepped-up role for the IMF in advising on legal reforms that remove barriers to, and incentivize, women’s economic empowerment. Although this paper highlights dominant belief systems and cultural norms that have contributed to limiting the economic empowerment of women, it does not intend to render any judgment on these systems or norms.
Keywords:
gender gap; inequality; inclusive growth; gender norm; gender budgeting law; IMF's contribution; gender wage gap; constitutional law; Women; Gender inequality; Gender diversity; Labor force participation; Global
Cover IMF Staff Country Reports
Iceland: 2016 Article IV Consultation-Press Release; Staff Report; and Statement by the Executive Director for Iceland
International Monetary Fund. European Dept.
This paper provides an assessment of the economic conditions, outlook, and crises in Iceland. There is a mounting sense that capital controls hurt growth prospects, repressing local financial markets, scaring foreign investors, and impeding savings diversification, and that it is time for them to go. Recent settlements with the bank estates are a huge step forward, improving already favorable macroeconomic conditions. At 4 percent in 2015 and gaining pace, real GDP expansion is among the fastest growing in Europe, opening up a positive output gap. However, the biggest risk for Iceland is overheating. Large wage awards on top of already hot economic readings speak to Iceland’s boom-bust history.
Keywords:
ISCR; CR; Iceland; right; CBI governor; IMF staff projection; CBI transactions; inflation expectation; baseline projection; asset price pressure; Bank supervision; Capital account liberalization; Capital controls; Wages; Global; Europe
Cover IMF Staff Country Reports
Iceland: Sixth Post-Program Monitoring Discussions
International Monetary Fund. European Dept.
This paper discusses the recommendations of the Sixth Post-program Monitoring Discussions with Iceland. Iceland recently updated its capital account liberalization strategy. The strategy takes a staged approach, starting with steps to address the balance-of-payments overhang of the old bank estates—prioritizing a cooperative approach with incentives—in a manner consistent with maintaining stability. Growth is accelerating in 2015 and is expected to reach 4.1 percent, backed by significant investment, wage- and debt relief-fueled consumption, and booming tourism. The general government is projected to record a surplus of 0.8 percent of GDP in 2015, helped by large one-offs. Small deficits are also expected over 2016–20.
Keywords:
ISCR; CR; inflation expectation; liberalization; liberalization strategy; capital account liberalization strategy; anchor inflation expectation; wage agreement; net export; Capital account liberalization; Wages; Income; Gender budgeting; Global
Cover IMF Staff Papers
IMF Staff papers: Volume 37 No. 4
International Monetary Fund. Research Dept.
The transition strategy from administratively set interest rates to market rates is discussed. Despite worldwide trends toward financial liberalization, few monetary authorities are prepared to accept as reasonable any interest rate level that is market determined. The paper suggests some helpful indicators to assess the adequacy of interest rates and discusses factors that contribute to a smooth liberalization process. The main conclusion is that interest rate liberalization is not synonymous with laissez-faire policies, but requires the replacement of the administratively set interest rates by indirect monetary management techniques that operate through the market.
Keywords:
SP; interest rate equation; interest rate; deficit; deficit variable; expenditure competition strategy; yield differential; effects of deficit; Demand for money; Consumption; Exchange rates; Interest rate policy; Labor markets; Europe; Sub-Saharan Africa
Cover IMF Staff Papers
IMF Staff papers: Volume 33 No. 1
International Monetary Fund. Research Dept.
This paper begins by describing the basic concepts of Islamic banking, focusing on the issue of elimination of the rate of interest from the system. Islam expressly prohibits a fixed or predetermined return on financial transactions but allows uncertain rates of return deriving from risk-taking activities. Consequently, a banking structure in which the return for the use of money fluctuates according to actual profits made from such use would be consistent with the precepts of Islam. The paper concludes that from an economic standpoint the principal difference between the Islamic and the traditional banking systems is not that one allows interest payments and the other does not. The more relevant distinction is that the Islamic system treats deposits as shares and accordingly does not guarantee their nominal value, whereas in the traditional system such deposits are guaranteed either by the banks or by the government.
Keywords:
SP; export earnings; commodity price; indexation rule; traded goods; price level; Export earnings; Commodity prices; Real exchange rates; Commodity price fluctuations; Deposit rates; Global; West Africa; Europe