For the first time in almost a generation the women of Iceland took to the streets in their thousands to protest at the continuing gender pay gap in Iceland. Women there still do not automatically receive parity in pay, earning 21% on average less than men do in 2022 according to Statistics Iceland. The protests occurred all over the country under banners reading “Kallarðu þetta jafnrétti” meaning “You call this equality?” in English, with even the woman Prime Minister of Iceland, Katrín Jakobsdóttir, and other women politicians, joining in with the strikes and protests. It is interesting to note that the previous national women's strike led to the formation of a women-only political party in Iceland called the “Women’s Alliance and as a consequence, women make up almost 50% of the members of the Icelandic Parliament.
The strike was very effective in virtually closing down the whole country partially, and in some cases almost completely such as the banks, as if it were needed, that women play a prominent role in many aspects of Icelandic society. This is particularly true of the lowly paid childcare and domestic labour force which is almost entirely made up of women, particularly foreign-born women, who make up 22% of the total female workforce in Iceland and are perhaps more vulnerable to exploitation than the professional Icelandic women.
The strike was not only about paid work but also about equal roles for men and women in society even though Iceland is regarded as one of the most gender-equal countries in the world in the workplace and at home. The strike meant many men had to take their days off work too, in order to care for their children. However, whether this strike had any effect on the attitudes of the male Icelandic population is as yet hard to determine.
In addition to pay inequality, there was a parallel demonstration taking place at the same time, protesting about sexual and physical violence and sexual harassment of women in Iceland. Even in this open-minded, very equal society, gender-based violence occurs domestically and out in the public domain. It was hoped that these additional banners of protest would also attract attention and lead to corrective government action in this area.
Iceland is not alone in the world with these issues which affect all countries, possibly with more adverse outcomes, however, Iceland is perhaps leading the way in showing the rest of the world how it is addressing these problems and tackling these inequalities.
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