Iceland is the world champion country for gender equality, according to a ranking by the World Economic Forum. However, despite restrictive legislation, salary disparities are still present.
Iceland is number 1 in the world for gender equality, but complete equality, we are not there yet, say the Icelandic women. Indeed, according to the Icelandic National Statistics Institute, women in Iceland earn on average 9% less than men. In certain sectors, such as finance and insurance, the gap even jumps to 26%. Women also remain over-represented in poorly paid professions, such as cleaning or care. This is why they launched the strike with the slogan: “And you call that equality?” (“Kallarðu þetta jafnretti”).
Women are not only asked not to work but also to stop all domestic activities, whether cooking, cleaning or even childcare. For this, they have an example to follow, the day of October 24, 1975 and the Icelandic strike. That day, 90% of women say stop and stop everything. The country is partly paralyzed, schools are closing, in banks, the tellers are not coming and their superiors, men, have to replace them. Finally, fathers often find themselves forced to bring their children to work.
A day of strike which marked and transformed the country.
Five years later, in 1980, the new President of the Republic was a president. Vigdis Finnbogadottir was elected by direct universal suffrage, this is a world first. Vigdis Finnbogadottir is a divorced woman, single mother and theater director. She beats the three men in front of her. Among his voters, there are sailors. “They almost all voted for me, she remarks. They know very well that the woman is extremely strong because they are away from home for several months sometimes and it is the woman who takes care of everything!”
The 1975 strike played a key role in his election. She knows it. And at 93, she remains a source of inspiration today, including for the current Prime Minister, a woman, Katrin Jakobsdottir. “She opened the way for all of us” She says. Moreover, Katrin Jakobsdottir will also strike this Tuesday, just like non-binary people, who are also called to join the movement, for equal pay, but also against discrimination and sexist and sexual violence.