Breaking Barriers: Icelandic Women, Including the Prime Minister, Stage Historic Strike for Gender Equality

Women in Iceland, including the prime minister, will participate in a strike on Tuesday to advocate for increased gender equality in the nation. According to campaign organizers, this marks the seventh time women in Iceland have gone on strike for this cause. The initial strike occurred on October 24, 1975.

On October 24th, organizers are urging all women in Iceland, including immigrant women, to participate in a strike. This strike, named the "Women's Day Off" or "Kvennafrí" in Icelandic, aims to highlight the significance of women's contributions to society. The organizers hope to bring attention to the persistent issues of wage inequality and gender-based violence experienced by women in Iceland.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres delivers a speech at the fifth United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries (LDC5) in Doha on March 5, 2023. In an effort to gain global attention amidst competing crises, leaders from nations trapped in deepening poverty will appeal for assistance at the summit. (Photo by KARIM JAAFAR / AFP) (Photo by KARIM JAAFAR/AFP via Getty Images)

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Icelandic Prime Minister Katrín Jakobsdóttir stated to Icelandic news site Iceland Monitor that she, along with other female members of government, will not work on the strike day to show solidarity with Icelandic women. Jakobsdóttir emphasized that gender equality goals have not been fully achieved and that it is inadmissible for a gender-based wage gap to still exist in 2023. Additionally, tackling gender-based violence remains a top priority for her government.

The government had previously pledged to eliminate the gender pay gap by 2022.

According to organizers, Icelandic employers have traditionally supported strikes and have not hindered or deducted the wages of participating employees.

This year's strike has the support of various organizations, including the Federation of the Public Workers Union in Iceland (BSRB), the Icelandic Nurses Association, and the Icelandic Association of Women's Associations.

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The organizers are highlighting the situation of immigrant women who they believe make an "indispensable" impact on Icelandic society but are not adequately recognized or compensated for it. In her article for CNN in 2019, Jakobsdóttir emphasized that testimonies from migrant and ethnic minority women were a significant turning point for Iceland. She stated that although Iceland has made commendable strides in gender equality, it still needs to address the interconnected issues of gender, racial, and class disparities.

Men are being urged by organizers to express their solidarity with striking women by assuming extra responsibilities both at home and in the workplace, thereby allowing their female and non-binary partners or colleagues to participate in the strike.

Meanwhile, the Icelandic government, as stated by Jakobsdóttir, is currently directing its attention towards a newly initiated research initiative that aims to investigate the discrepancy in wages between professions historically dominated by men as compared to those dominated by women.

"We are looking at how these jobs are different… because we estimate that the difference in wages that exists is due to this," Jakobsdóttir said.