In her book, Iceland’s first lady paints a portrait of a country at the forefront of gender equality. And to explain the emancipation of its inhabitants, it goes deep into the origins of History.
On June 29, 1980, Vigdis Finnbogadóttir, a teacher and theater director, divorced single mother, became the President of Iceland and thus the first woman in the world to be elected head of state by direct universal suffrage. He would hold this position for sixteen years. Sixteen years, during which children and young people across the country asked adults sincerely: “Can boys become presidents too?”
We know it, we repeat it, Iceland is a champion of gender equality. Not content with being the first country to elect a president by direct universal suffrage, the volcanic island is also the nation with the most female parliament on the Old Continent. With 47.6% female MPs, the Alting, also the world’s oldest parliament (9th century), is almost equal. In 2016, when MP Unur Bra went to the podium while breastfeeding her 6-month-old daughter, no one was surprised. Just the media coverage…
Source: Le Figaro
