I’m sure you’ve heard of the gender pay gap. It is annoying, but in Iceland, women are actually striking against it—including the Prime Minister!
On Monday the 24th of October, women in Iceland from all walks of life, professions, and backgrounds will be participating in a nation-wide strike in order to draw attention to gender inequality. This includes Iceland’s Prime Minister, Katrín Jakobsdóttir.
Iceland is undoubtedly progressive in terms of gender equality, and has pioneered legislation on gender pay gap. However, there is still a large gap between men and women’s salaries. Women’s salaries are on average 14-18% lower than men’s in the same line of work.
The strike has been organized with the slogan, “If women stopped, the world would stop.” Women from all sectors of the economy are participating, with even teachers and pharmacists amongst the strikers.
Katrín Jakobsdóttir has been a force behind the strike. She hopes that by taking part, the strike will draw attention to gender disparities in the labor market, and hopefully will make a stand for gender equality in Iceland.
This is not the first time that such a strike has been organized. In 1975 Icelandic women organized a nation-wide strike as part of the fight for female rights. It was the first such strike of its kind and resulted in the passing of a law requiring employers to pay women the same salary as men.
Today women in Iceland have achieved a high level of equality, but the strike serves as a reminder that more needs to be done to bridge the gaps between genders, not only in Iceland, but worldwide.
This is a cause close to Prime Minister Katrín Jakobsdóttir’s heart. She has long been an advocate for women’s rights, and for the idea that everyone should be paid a fair wage, regardless of gender. As she said in her speech of the strike, “Gender equality in the workplace is a fight we must all take part in and stand together, side-by-side.”
The strike is a powerful reminder that gender inequality still exists, and is a crucial step in the fight for true gender equality. If it succeeds, it could be a major step in the fight for gender equality not only in Iceland, but worldwide. We’ll just have to wait and see.