Tens of thousands of Icelandic women are planning to go on a one-day strike on October 24 to protest gender pay inequality.
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The Guardian writes about this.
Iceland is considered one of the most progressive countries in the world in terms of gender equality. For 14 years, it has been ranked first among all countries in the world in the World Economic Forum’s annual Global Gender Gap Report.
Freya Steingrímsdóttir, one of the strike organizers, said they want to draw attention to the fact that while Iceland is “called a paradise of equality,” gender inequality still exists and “urgent action is needed” to combat it.
She said industries that traditionally employ more women, such as health care and childcare, are still undervalued and far underpaid.
At the same time, Freya Steingrímsdóttir emphasized, according to the Statistics Office of Iceland, there are still industries in the country where women earn at least 20% less than men. A study by the University of Iceland found that 40% of Icelandic women experience gender-based or sexual violence in their lifetime.
The strike will be held under the slogan “Do you call this equality?” Within its framework, participants invite women to refuse to perform any work – both paid and unpaid (for example, housework). A march of 25 thousand people is planned in the center of Reykjavik.
Prime Minister of Iceland Katrin Jakobsdottir announced her participation in the strike.
Non-binary people were also invited to take part in the action – that is, those who think of themselves outside the categories of men and women.
We are all fighting the same system and are all under the influence of patriarchy, so we thought we could unite the fight,” said Freya Steingrímsdóttir.
The last time such a large-scale women’s strike took place in Iceland was in 1975. Back then, Icelandic women on average earned almost half as much as men. 90% of the country’s women took part in the strike.
The action led to the passage of the Equality Act in 1976, prohibiting gender discrimination in schools and the workplace. Four years later, Vigdís Finnbogadóttir became the first woman in the world to be elected head of state.
Source: Racurs
I am David Wyatt, a professional writer and journalist for Buna Times. I specialize in the world section of news coverage, where I bring to light stories and issues that affect us globally. As a graduate of Journalism, I have always had the passion to spread knowledge through writing.