Tens of thousands of women in Iceland, including Prime Minister Katrín Jakobsdóttir, are participating in a “kvennafrí” or women’s day off, as a form of protest against the gender pay gap and gender-based violence.
Fields where women make up the majority of workers, such as healthcare and education, are particularly impacted.
This planned strike is the first full-day women’s strike since 1975.
During this protest, women and non-binary individuals are being encouraged to abstain from both paid and unpaid work, including household chores.
Prime Minister Katrín Jakobsdóttir expressed her support for the strike and mentioned that her government is assessing the valuation of female-dominated professions compared to traditionally male-dominated fields.
For instance, women constitute the majority of teachers at all educational levels in Iceland, including 94% of kindergarten teachers.
Additionally, about 80% of employees at the National University Hospital of Iceland are women.
While Iceland has consistently ranked as the top country for gender equality by the World Economic Forum for 14 consecutive years, there are still disparities.
Iceland’s overall score is 91.2%, and its economic participation ranking is 14th globally, trailing behind countries like Liberia, Jamaica, and Norway.
This demonstration is reminiscent of the 1975 strike in Iceland when around 90% of the female workforce went on strike, emphasizing the significant role of women in the economy.
Subsequently, this led to the enactment of an equal pay law the following year.
The 1975 strike is considered a pivotal moment in Iceland’s journey toward gender equality and women’s empowerment, and it notably laid the groundwork for Vigdís Finnbogadóttir to become the world’s first democratically elected female head of state in 1980.
Source-BBC
