Today I strike for gender equality

Today Icelandic women will once again make history as they go on strike, echoing a powerful movement that began in 1975 with the Women’s Day Off.?

Throughout Iceland, wherever possible, women will not go to work or perform their usual roles at home. This pivotal act includes women from all sectors of society, even extending to the prime minister and the financial minister!

Why this specific date? On October 24, 1975, a monumental event occurred: 90% of Icelandic women walked out of their workplaces and homes, assembling in downtown Reykjavík. Their aim? To underscore the significance of their contributions to society.?

My mother, who doesn't think of herself as a feminist, was there but I was only four and too young to go.

This historic day paved the way for the election of Vigdís Finnbogadóttir in 1980, who not only became the first female president of Iceland but also the world's first democratically-elected female head of state. The movement's momentum didn't stop there. By 1988, the Women's Alliance, a women-only political party, secured its inaugural seats in parliament. They maintained their presence until 1998 when other parties finally put women onto the ballots.

Due to this powerful movement started in 1975, Iceland has eventually become the number one country in the world in gender equality.

Iceland is the most gender-equal country in the world for the 14th consecutive year, and the only country to have closed more than 90% of its gender gap – at 91.2%.

- World Economic Forum, June 21st 2023

Even though significant progress has been made since 1975, the main demand of the Women's Day Off has not been met: that women's work be valued fairly. Women's earnings are still 21% lower than men's, and traditional women's jobs are considerably worse paid than men's jobs. Women working in cleaning, childcare, service to the ill, disabled, and elderly are among the lowest earners in Icelandic society. The systemic inequality is also evident in that 40% of women have experienced gender-based and sexual violence, and trans individuals, especially quars (a local term for non-binary individuals), women with disabilities, and immigrant women face even more violence than other groups. The list of injustices goes on.

Therefore, forty women's associations, LGBTQ+ groups, and labor unions, are calling for a full-day Women's Strike today. All women and gender-diverse people are encouraged to stop both paid and unpaid work for a whole day and demand equality through solidarity.

The headline of this strike is "Do You Call This Equality?" referring to the frequent narrative that, since Iceland is a leader in gender equality, women and gender-diverse people shouldn't be upset about the existing inequalities and should patiently wait for improvements.?

Women and quars who can should stop working; not go to work, not take care of the children (i.e., not feed them or prepare their lunch), and not care for sick family members but have a male family member or friend take over. Women and quars should refrain from all tasks that could be considered work, whether it's paid employment, unpaid care like childcare, household duties, or the so-called "third shift".

I support the Icelandic Women’s Strike because I want to see a change.

My hope is that one day we have a worldwide Women’s Strike.

My mission is to accelerate gender equality.

Therefore I strike today.