Catch the World brings you the latest news and topics from the streets of the world. The Nordic country Iceland has been ranked number one for 12 consecutive years out of 156 countries and regions in the World Economic Forum's gender gap ranking. What is the difference between Iceland and Japan, which is ranked 120th? We went to see what the children growing up there are thinking. This is a report by reporter Masashi Nishimura from the London branch. A high school in Reykjavik, the capital of Iceland. On this day, a class that is rarely heard in Japanese high schools was being held. Teacher: "What do you think is specifically necessary to promote gender equality in Iceland?" It was a class on "women's advancement in society." Reporter Masashi Nishimura: "In Iceland, gender equality is being taught in all educational courses up to university, and classes are held almost every day at this school." Student: "(Q. What is needed to promote gender equality?) Gender inequality should be taught from a younger stage." Jounina Ingi, now 17 years old, is proud of the gender equality in her home country, although she says there is still room for improvement. Jounina: "What's great about this country is that women can work if they want to. Iceland is a world leader in gender equality." If Jounina and her friends work for a company in the future, their opportunities will not be limited just because they are women. Of the four executives at this insurance company, three are women, except for the president. Executive: "I grew up in an environment where men and women were equal, so I was able to enter society without any discomfort." Companies with more than 50 employees are required by law to have a gender ratio of at least 40% for both men and women. In addition, the high rate of men taking parental leave, with more than 70% of men taking parental leave, also supports women's advancement in society. Snæførne (37), an office worker, also took six months of parental leave to look after her one-year-old daughter, Ragheirø. Snæførne: "I think most companies expect men to take parental leave." The high rate of men taking parental leave is supported by the system. For example, if only the mother takes parental leave, she is only legally entitled to six months, but if the father also takes it, the combined total is 12 months. One month of that allows for flexibility between the couple. Snæbørne: "I tend to cook, and my wife does the washing up. I like cooking more than my wife." The system is designed to be advantageous for both men and women, and during the leave period, 80% of the salary is paid from the national "maternity leave and childcare leave fund" (up to a limit). At 2:30 p.m., his wife, Sigredur (35), who works in the arts, came home. She is currently five months pregnant with our second child. Wife Sigredur: "Iceland's childcare leave system is wonderful." Snæbørne: "I can't imagine raising another child without this childcare leave system." Icelandic women have an environment in place to work while raising children with their partners in the future. A turning point for Iceland, which used to be a male-dominated society like Japan, came in 1975. There was a protest called "Women's Day Off" in which more than 90% of women across the country gave up work and housework in pursuit of equality. A participant at the time said, "We made the men realize what they were missing by abandoning their positions." Her predecessors have been working toward gender equality for nearly 50 years, and high school sophomore Yo Nina hopes to become a teacher in the future and carry on that tradition. Yo Nina: "I want to help people learn, and I also want to teach about gender." It looks like the baton will be passed on to children and the next generation. (28th, 04:36) ▼TBS NEWS Official Website https://news.tbs.co.jp/index.html ▼TBS NEWS Official Social Media ◇Twitter https://twitter.com/tbs_news?s=20 ◇Facebook / tbsnews ◇note https://note.com/tbsnews ◇TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@tbsnews?lang=ja ◇instagram / tbsnews_insta ▼Please subscribe to our channel! / @tbsnewsdig ▼Information provided by "TBS Insiders" https://news.tbs.co.jp/newsi_sp/tbs-i... ▼Video provided by "TBS Scoop Post" https://news.tbs.co.jp/newsi_sp/toukou/